Dyson Daniels' offense shining leaves team with more uncertainty than promise

The Atlanta Hawks remained on the road Wednesday night, where they fell to the Charlotte Hornets 107-110.  

Familiar foes, the Hawks and Hornets came into this matchup just one game removed from their previous battle. Adding more intrigue to Wednesday’s game, each squad lost their last opportunity to climb up the conference standings. 

They both fell to tough opponents on Monday evening. The Hawks, fresh off their tough home loss to none other than the Hornets, got beaten down by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Hornets, having won nine straight games beforehand, were finally put to a stop by the Detroit Pistons. 

Wednesday night’s matchup was each team’s final game before the All-Star break. What better way to head into a week-long rest than by knocking off a division rival?

Atlanta, still facing roster issues of their own, were at an availability advantage. Crazy, right? It’s not often that the injury-riddled, forever-adapting Hawks can say they have more lineup continuity than their opponent. A timely altercation resulted in unexpected hope for the away team. 

Monday night’s matchup saw an in-game brawl, generating headlines around the league and bringing even more attention to the Hornets. The aftermath brought notable suspensions to two of their vital starters. 

Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were set to serve the first game of their respective suspensions Wednesday night against the Hawks. It came with the utmost importance that Atlanta’s top difference-makers didn’t let that get to their heads.

Dyson Daniels stepped up to the challenge.

It didn't take much time for Daniels to get into the swing of things. Atlanta had a very rough start on the offensive end, but after an early timeout, they immediately took back the lead. Their early hope was in large part due to the underrated brilliance of the fourth-year guard.

In just the first few minutes, Daniels had already racked up nine points, proving that he was in for a dominant night. It's not often that he's Atlanta's most reliable option on that end, but in the rare instance that he is, it usually means things aren't all the way clicking.

Basketball is a team sport. Yes, Daniels was killing it on both ends in his return game, but he needed help from the veteran shot-makers. That help didn't come until late, and a chance at a win was already looking bleak.

The second half for Daniels was just as good, if not better, than his first half output. His efficiency remained, and he got to really lock in on the other end, making life difficult for LaMelo Ball. In the second half alone, Daniels put up 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 5/7 from the field.

Atlanta trimmed an 18-point lead all the way down to one, but were ultimately unable to execute when it mattered most. Still, Daniels' efforts to bring them back and have a quality offensive game despie the noise shouldn't go unnoticed.

It's been an odd season for The Great Barrier Thief, but if anything is certain, it's that his impact goes far beyond the box score, even in games where he puts up a dominant statline. If it wasn't evident last game (it was), it sure is now. The Hawks need Dyson Daniels.