The Hawks aren't exactly known for their lockdown defense. Holes up and down the roster mar an otherwise solid offensive squad.
A lighthouse has identified an emerging pair of islands amid the rough seas, however – Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker Island have been locking down opponents all year.
A recent analysis by Todd Whitehead (who is an excellent Twitter follow) shows just how elite the pair have been. Amongst all plus defenders in the league, Daniels and Alexander-Walker rank 1st and 11th, respectively.
Defenders who have stopped the most drives this season. pic.twitter.com/6PuwdxDALe
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) December 21, 2025
Dyson Daniels' 1st-place rank isn't the most impressive part of his placement in this category. If you take a closer look, the gap between 1 and 2 is larger than the gap between 2 and 16. Like the steals race from last season, Daniels is running away as the leader in stifled drives with a 20% higher total than the second-placed Mikal Bridges. This isn't anything we didn't already know, of course – Dyson is an elite point-of-attack defender – but it's vindicating to see the proof in the pudding.
While Alexander-Walker's 11th-ranked total is inherently less impressive, it is still remarkable that the Hawks have two defenders in this list. Atlanta is the only team with multiple members on this list aside from the Thunder, who have built a generational defense that is spearheading what could be a historic regular season from the pride of Oklahoma.
The islanders' synergy with Trae Young is painfully obvious
Not only do the new dynamic defensive duo seem poised to win games on their own, they're flanked by a perfect counterpart in Ice Trae.
While Daniels and NAW are able to shut down opposing guards, Trae Young can handle the orchestration of the offense. Young’s ability to dish to an open Alexander-Walker for three or a cutting Daniels for an easy dunk synergizes beautifully with the defensive-minded pair.
To boot, Young can hide defensively far more effectively with the island duo on the court with him. It's very similar to watching OG Anunoby (would likely be in the top 16 save for injury) and Mikal Bridges (2nd) cover for the defensive liability in New York – Jalen Brunson.
Look for Quin Snyder to give extended burn to this trio. If they're able to establish good rotational efficiency on defense to pair with Trae's flashy passes to them on offense, the future looks incredibly bright for the dynamic trio this year.