The NBA released its annual GM survey this week, where Dyson Daniels was named “the best perimeter defender in the league,” garnering 31% of the votes. This should be no surprise, as the Australian G League Ignite product earned second place in the Defensive Player of the Year voting after his first season on the Atlanta Hawks roster. Alex Caruso finished in second place in the survey with 24% of the votes, and Amen Thompson followed with 22%.
Daniels received a second nod, earning 10% of the vote for “most versatile defender,” finishing tied for fourth place. Above Daniels, Amen Thompson ranked first with 18%, Draymond Green second with 17%, and Giannis Antetokounmpo third with 13%. Daniels was tied with Victor Wembanyama and Evan Mobley.
Daniels’ defense is a critical factor in Atlanta's ability to continue the Trae Young era. After swinging and missing on the Dejounte Murray trade, many had given up hope that Atlanta would ever find their defensive backcourt partner alongside Young. With Daniels on the roster, the team suddenly had an elite guard defender who could guard the 1-4 effectively to pair with Young.
Daniels' nod shows how Atlanta has turned its fortune around
The only true challengers to Daniels’ spot as the best perimeter defender are the Thompson twins: Amen and Ausar. The three players are 22 years old, possess elite athleticism, and have a high-level defensive IQ. While other elite defenders exist, such as Alex Caruso and Jrue Holiday, the old guard of elite perimeter defenders has passed the torch to Daniels’ generation as they age out of their primes.
There is no player better suited to play alongside Young than Daniels. While his offense remains a work in progress, his defensive impact stretches far beyond that of the usual elite defender.
Daniels has an innate knack for deflecting the ball, which is defined as getting a hand on the ball in a non-shot attempt, including tipped passes and dribbles. While deflections do not always result in turnovers, they momentarily force the offense to abandon its goal of creating an easy look to secure possession. This brief pause in the flow of the offense grants the defense critical seconds to reset. Outside of the steal and block, there is perhaps no more disruptive defensive play than the deflection.
Daniels finished first in the league in total deflections, deflections per game, and deflections per 36 minutes last season, finishing 63%, 38%, and 9% over second place respectively. In Daniels case, these deflections did result in turnovers. He led the league in steals with 3.0 a game, the highest average in over 30 years and 36% above the second-place Mattise Thybulle. In case you need more proof of his impact, Daniels also finished in a close second place in loose balls recovered per game.
This level of disruption from a single guard defender has not been seen in recent memory —and perhaps never in league history. The Hawks struck gold in the trade for Daniels, and the whole league knows it.