Dyson Daniels has struggled mightily from range this season. His 3-point woes just can't seem to be shaken, with each passing game driving another nail into the coffin that is his confidence from deep.
Unfortunately, it's not just the shots that aren't falling for Daniels. As opposing coaches have become increasingly privy to Daniels' greatest weakness that has emerged this year, they've adjusted accordingly, as any good opposing strategist would.
Daniels is being left open at a nearly unprecedented rate for a former league-average (35%) 3-point shooter, and a new NBA.com stat proves it.
Recently, the NBA began tracking "gravity," a term that aptly characterizes how much any individual player draws defenders toward them over the course of a game.
On one end of the spectrum, you have Luka, Kawhi, Ant, Harden, and KD, who are proficient isolation scorers that are lethal with even an inch of room. Defenses wouldn't dare leave them open. On the other end...
Amongst guards logging at least 20 minutes a night, Daniels ranks 4th worst, falling only behind Isaiah Collier and the Thompson twins, not ideal company to be in.
A tale as old as time: a jumpshot away from leaguewide greatness
There have been a great number of players that NBA GMs and fans alike have given the age-old remark to: "If he could just develop a consistent jumper, he'd be great!"
Dyson Daniels is no exception to this adage. In fact, I'd argue that he's a step further. With a consistent jumper like he exhibited last season, Daniels would be the single greatest role player in the entire NBA.
To date, Daniels ranks as the best Hawk in terms of on/off impact, amongst players logging at least 500 minutes on the court. With Daniels on the hardwood, the Hawks are a +0.6 in 1700 minutes. Without him, they plummet to a dismal -4.4 in around 800 minutes.
This is eerily similar to the 76ers' Ben Simmons era. While his lack of shooting haunted fans' nightmares for years, they just weren't the same team without him on the floor (until they starkly upgraded him for recent MVP James Harden).
Without Dyson, the Hawks are inherently a bad team. The -4.4 net rating over an ample sample period, without the pesky defender shutting down opposing offenses, tells the entire story: Atlanta needs Dyson Daniels.
Hawks fans simply need to believe in the young Australian sensation to get his confidence back and work tirelessly in the gym this summer. If he can simply get back to his 2024-2025 levels (or better), the Hawks will be well on their way to seriously contending for an NBA title sooner than later.