Dyson Daniels could hold the cards to the Atlanta Hawks taking another leap next season. Last year, the Hawks abandoned the Trae Young era, trading him to the Washington Wizards. Now, as they are set to enter an era where Jalen Johnson is the best player, a bounce-back season from Daniels behind the three-point line could give them a major boost.
Last year, Daniels was completely useless from behind the three-point arc. He shot just 18.8% on 1.5 three-point attempts per game. Meanwhile, two years ago, Daniels shot 34.0% on 3.1 three-point attempts per game. That's a major difference, especially in a league that values the three-point shot as much as the current NBA does.
So, if Daniel's can get back to being the floor spacer that he was for the Hawks two years ago, it could put an entirely different ceiling on next year's group.
Dyson Daniels' three-point shot can help the Hawks next season
Daniels is one of the best defenders in the NBA. He finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year, while also making the All-Defensive Second Team. And the year before that, he was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the All-Defensive First Team.
That same season, he won the Most Improved Player award. He averaged 3.0 steals per game, and again, his three-point shot looked better than it had up to that point in his NBA career.
Unfortunately, Daniel's took a major step back last season. He still played over 33 minutes a game, proving his worth to the Hawks on the defensive end, but his offense was a major problem.
He dished out more assists, going from 4.4 assists the year prior to 5.9 this past season, but his three-point shot fell off a cliff. And the Hawks desperately need that floor spacing back.
Johnson is an elite playmaker. He can drive the ball as well as almost anyone else in the NBA, but he needs capable shooters around the three-point arc to kick out to.
And if Daniels is going to be on the court because of his defense, which he definitely should be, then he also needs to be a reliable three-point threat in order to maximize the Hawks' best lineups.
So, if the Hawks want to be a legitimate playoff team this upcoming season, perhaps even with a chance to make a run, Daniels needs to get back to shooting well from beyond the three-point line.
He doesn't need to be great. He just needs to be serviceable. That would be enough.
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