Trae Young’s postgame comments highlight backcourt mate’s impact on Hawks’ culture

The Atlanta Hawks have won four straight games to capture the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. After a rocky 7-11 start to the season, the Hawks bounced back by winning 11 of their next 15 contests.

In their latest 136-107 win over the Toronto Raptors, the Hawks became just the fourth team in the 21st century to record 22 steals in a single game. Atlanta finished one shy of a franchise-record 23 steals set in 1997. Crazily enough, the Hawks achieved this pickpocketing feat without Dyson Daniels – the league leader in steals.

After his team’s victory, Trae Young shouted out Daniels – who was out with an illness – and alluded to the Great Barrier Thief’s overall impact on Atlanta’s defensive culture. 

"We know Dys ain't here,” Young told FanDuel Sports Network. “But he is here. He has been with us all season. We miss you, Dys. We'll see you in Denver, hopefully."

Last year, the Hawks owned the NBA’s No. 27 defense with a pitiful 118.4 defensive rating. In Daniels’ first season with Atlanta, the team has catapulted to No. 16 in the league with a much-improved 113.0 defensive rating. During their current win streak, the Hawks have boasted a top-six defense.

Daniels has not only led the league in steals with 3.1 per game, but he has also averaged an absurd 6.5 deflections. Last season, NBA Hustle Award winner Alex Caruso led the league with 3.7 deflections a night. On pace to obliterate the record for deflections in a season, Daniels is making history with his defensive efforts.

Thankfully for Hawks fans, Daniels’ defensive intensity and consistency have seemed to rub off on his teammates. Plagued with an abysmal defense for most of the last decade, the Hawks are finally building the kind of two-way identity their supporters have dreamt of for years. Daniels has helped Atlanta shift to a more defensive-minded culture with his presence alone.

Jalen Johnson did his best Dyson Daniels impression with six steals

After exploding for 28 points and 13 rebounds in his previous outing, Jalen Johnson had a relatively quiet night on offense with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting. However, Johnson gave his best Great Barrier Thief impression with six steals on the night. This matched a career-high for the Most Improved Player candidate and potential 2025 All-Star.

In his fourth season as a pro, Johnson is averaging 19.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. He has also nabbed 1.5 steals per game and 1.1 blocks per game, following Daniels’ lead as a defensive tone-setter for the red-hot Hawks.

While Daniels leads the team in defensive rating right ahead of Johnson, Young has posted his strongest individual mark in four seasons. With Atlanta’s franchise player fully bought in on defense, the Hawks have officially reached their highest heights since their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run.

As Young suggested in his postgame interview from the Raptors win, Daniels’ energy stays with the Hawks even when he isn’t playing. This may only be the 21-year-old ball hawk’s third year in the league, but he has made the impact of a veteran. Daniels will likely make an All-Defensive Team this season with an outside chance at votes for Defensive Player of the Year.

Equipped with the best defensive unit of the Ice Trae era, the Hawks seem primed to make serious noise for the rest of the season. The sky is the limit for Atlanta as long as Daniels can continue one of the best defensive seasons in NBA history.