Dyson Daniels went 3 of 16 in opposition to the New York Knicks final week. It was superb.
Let me clarify.
First, it was a career-high in shot makes an attempt. Second, he took the sixteenth even after making simply three of his first 15. And he did it with a minute left in a one-point sport.
That shot missed, too, however that’s hardly the purpose. After two seasons in New Orleans, Daniels’ rep upon arriving in Atlanta this summer time was that his confidence got here and went, and if he missed just a few photographs, he’d begin pulling the ball down and go up photographs completely. Regardless of flashing superb defensive expertise, his lack of ability to be a constant menace on the offense was preserving him off the court docket.
It wasn’t simply that he was capturing 31 % from 3; it was that his microscopic 12 % utilization fee meant defenses may disregard him completely. To date, in Atlanta, issues are very completely different. Daniels took the rock with 70 seconds left in opposition to New York and made a tough, downhill drive for a pull-up floater that missed. Three makes on 16 makes an attempt. And it didn’t cease him.
Daniels set one other profession excessive the following night time by capturing 17 instances. Two video games later, he took 21 photographs, scoring a career-high 28 factors in Atlanta’s Trae Younger-less upset of world champion Boston on the Celtics’ house court docket.
Daniels’ protection has drawn all the eye within the early season, and deservedly so. However the underrated a part of his breakout season has been the boldness he’s performed with on offense, shrugging off misses and coming again to let it rip on the following journey. The document scratches from New Orleans are a factor of the previous.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder talked about this subject and the way it utilized to Daniels earlier than the season. It’s labored out virtually precisely as he mentioned then.
“I believe a variety of it’s situational,” Snyder mentioned. “Normally guys are extra assured after they can anticipate that they’re going to have a shot. For those who get the ball and then you definately wish to determine, (in) that second, your aware thoughts takes you out of rhythm. Particularly for youthful guys, in the event that they’re involved about whether or not the ball goes to go in or not, that’s not the very best factor. It’s greater than a inexperienced gentle. It’s understanding situational capturing, figuring out that it’s not solely a inexperienced gentle however you have to take that shot. It’s essential so that you can shoot that whether or not you make or miss.”
Snyder has seen a model of this film earlier than, coincidentally, with one other younger Australian who was reluctant to shoot. He had Joe Ingles in Utah when Ingles was a gun-shy rookie; Ingles didn’t shoot greater than 5 instances till the fifteenth sport of the season and completed with a 12.9 utilization fee. Three years later, he launched 464 3s for a staff that went to the second spherical of the playoffs.
Ingles noticed all of the flashes from Daniels this summer time with the Australian nationwide staff when each had been getting ready for the Olympics. It’s no shock to him that Daniels is flourishing beneath Snyder.
“The previous few summers, we might see the expertise, the IQ, the defensive capability and all these various things,” Ingles mentioned. “Then this summer time he performed so much (within the Olympics), guarded the very best participant each time, and offensively would present the poise and playmaking. I used to be actually impressed. And he’s a very good child who works his ass off.
“Understanding Quin, he’ll unlock some offensive capability and potential, for positive. He did it with me, he’s performed it with a variety of the gamers I’ve been round. He makes you wish to run via a wall for him. For me, coming over (to the NBA) at 27 and doing what he was in a position to do with me, he was an enormous a part of that, and I believe he’ll give that to Dyson.”
We must always speak in regards to the protection too. Daniels has been a terror on that finish, main the league in deflections and steals by staggering margins whereas including measurement and physicality on the wing at 6-foot-8. To place in perspective simply how a lot of a pest he’s been, Alex Caruso led the league final yr with 3.7 deflections per sport. Daniels is averaging 7.6.
Undergo the clips of all his thievery and also you’ll see he’s earned his steals in a formidable number of methods — overplaying passing lanes, deflecting his personal man’s passes with “excessive fingers” and utilizing a karate-chop strip transfer, as an illustration.
He’s additionally straight-up embarrassed just a few guys by selecting their dribble at midcourt. Like this:
Daniels has 23 steals in his final 4 video games; solely three different gamers have that many all season. Suffice to say Atlanta has by no means had a wing defender like this earlier than, and whereas it hasn’t impacted the general outcomes on that finish (the Hawks, as ever, are twenty sixth in protection), the staff’s stats are significantly better in Daniels’ on-court minutes, though most of them are shared with Younger.
Extra importantly, Daniels has additionally warmed as much as the “Nice Barrier Thief” nickname lately. We have to make this stick, folks!
So long as Daniels retains letting it rip with confidence on the offensive finish, the Hawks can profit from his superior turnover creation on protection. He has an incredible shot of being named to the All-Protection staff and can probably be a powerful contender for Most Improved Participant, too, making him arguably essentially the most important rising participant from the season’s opening weeks.
Daniels is crucial one, however listed here are 9 different names you must know from the season’s first few weeks:
Wahoowa! Whereas a number of Memphis gamers warrant mentioning right here because the again half of the roster has helped maintain the Grizzlies afloat amid myriad accidents, Huff stands out. A flippantly regarded two-way signing earlier than the season, he’s already gained a promotion to the primary roster following a collection of eruptions off the bench, even incomes a begin in Wednesday’s sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Huff isn’t a put up menace, however he makes an offensive impression in two completely other ways. First, he’s a rim-runner who will get out in transition and may end lobs, specializing in reverse dunks like within the clip beneath.
JAY HUFF SIGNATURE REVERSE SLAM pic.twitter.com/Z0r31y5x1s
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) November 14, 2024
Nevertheless, he additionally doubles as a half-court 3-point menace, having made 43.8 % from distance to this point this yr. Huff will get them up, too, jacking 48 makes an attempt in his 185 minutes. The 7-foot-1 heart additionally presents rim safety, with a stellar 11.6 % block fee and, notably, a dramatically diminished foul fee from his earlier stops within the NBA.
That bundle has confirmed particularly efficient on an up-tempo Memphis staff that has leaned into its depth and tempo to remain afloat. At age 26 and on his fourth staff, Huff appears to be like like a keeper as a backup heart and is beneath contract for 3 years past this one.
Wahoowa! (This received’t be all Virginia guys, I promise.) You could possibly choose a number of names from this Cavs squad rampaging via the schedule; Caris LeVert additionally has been a monster, most notably.
However for sheer out of nowhere-ness, we’ve got to go together with Jerome, who signed a minimal deal in Cleveland two summers in the past after which missed all of final season after ankle surgical procedure. I’m undecided what the Cavs’ hopes had been for him this season, however I think “main an undefeated staff in PER” can be on the excessive finish. Jerome is in his sixth season and has by no means performed greater than 48 video games or 816 minutes in any of them, however that’s about to vary dramatically.
One of many keys has been a lethal floater sport; greater than half his 2s have come between 3 and 16 toes, per Basketball-Reference.com, and he’s made practically two-thirds of them. Add in an correct 3-point shot (a scalding 57.7 % to this point) and top-notch reads as a passer (greater than three dimes for each turnover), and he’s been a large plus captaining the Cavs’ second unit.
Maybe extra stunning than the offensive output has been Jerome’s impression defensively. Regardless of his infamous slowness afoot, he’s pilfered 18 steals in simply 211 minutes. That’s the league’s third-highest theft fee amongst gamers with not less than 200 minutes, trailing solely Daniels and Caruso.
I ran right into a front-office govt on the Champions Traditional who witnessed Powell’s 29-point second-half eruption in Oklahoma Metropolis on Monday, and he riddled me with this query: If they chose the groups immediately, would Powell make the Western Convention All-Star staff?
Nooooorm has been that good, averaging 24.9 factors per sport with 50/49/83 capturing splits to assist maintain a restricted Clippers offense functioning. Specifically, he’s been devastating strolling into 3s off the dribble.
Norman Powell inventory continues to rise 📈
He helps lead the Clippers to a W with 31 factors & 12 rebounds 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cOWo7n5bfC
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 9, 2024
By no means thoughts that he’s 31 and in his tenth season; Powell is having a profession yr and has been the Clippers’ go-to man at instances, with a 26.6 utilization fee that almost rivals teammate James Harden’s. And it’s not simply the scoring: Powell is posting a profession excessive help proportion and has a steal in 9 straight video games.
Forgotten because the Pacers made an Jap Convention finals run whereas he sat out injured final spring, the 2022 lottery choose has come again with a vengeance.
I used to be lucky sufficient to be in Indy to witness Mathurin’s origin story, so to talk, when he changed an injured Andrew Nembhard in opposition to the Celtics and completed with 30 factors in a shock win. Whereas the Pacers’ offense has in any other case remained shockingly anemic within the early going, Mathurin has been a revelation. He’s averaged 24.0 factors per sport over his final seven contests whereas beginning the latest six.
An electrical downhill driver, particularly going left, Mathurin attracts fouls for sport (10.1 free-throw makes an attempt per 100 possessions), however he’s not simply making an attempt to rip-off journeys to the road. He additionally has an correct long-range sport (46.5 % on 3s so far) to maintain defenses sincere and has sufficient pull-up sport to be a real three-level menace.
Bennedict Mathurin helps us get inside 4 late within the fourth quarter. he is as much as 23 factors and 11 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/0y4tmDcD2i
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 14, 2024
The 6-6 guard additionally leads the staff in rebounding, which is a wee little bit of an indictment of the Pacers’ frontcourt, however a 12.3 % rebound fee from a fringe participant is spectacular on any degree.
Nit-pickers will be aware Mathurin nonetheless has his shortcomings, being vulnerable to ball-stopping, dribble blindness and periodic defensive lapses, but when he retains scoring this effectively and this usually, it’s straightforward to look previous these warts. Mathurin has been Indy’s greatest participant within the early going, and one presumes he received’t be coming off the bench when Nembhard returns.
Guess who leads Golden State in 3-point try fee? I’ll offer you a touch: It’s not Stephen Curry. Hield not solely has the very best fee of makes an attempt on the Warriors, but in addition leads the complete NBA in made 3s per 100 possessions with 7.5.
After being an afterthought within the Philadelphia 76ers’ offense late final season, Hield has been a prolific and correct launcher for the Warriors, taking part in among the greatest basketball of his profession at 31. No person will complain so long as he’s making 46.7 % of his 3s, which he’s performed to this point, along with pulling down 54.9 % of his 2s. For good measure, he’s setting a profession excessive in rebound fee too.
Hield is barely taking part in 24.5 minutes an evening within the Warriors’ egalitarian system, however he’s second on the staff in scoring and PER and a giant cause Golden State ranks third within the NBA in offensive effectivity — the Warriors had been eighth every of the final two seasons. On the primary season of a four-year deal that pays him a mean of $9.4 million, he’s been among the best signings of the 2024 offseason.
After lacking most of final season due to a stress response and different points, Eason has roared again to be arguably Houston’s best participant within the first dozen video games. Coming off the bench, he’s energized a Rockets second unit that has helped overcome blah output from the beginning group en path to an 8-4 begin. Items that includes Eason and associate in chaos Amen Thompson have outscored opponents by 17.6 factors per 100 possessions to this point, with a sterling 100.2 defensive score.
What’s notable is that Eason is a extra environment friendly model of his typical mayhem, capturing 62.8 % on 2s after making fewer than half throughout his first two seasons. He’s doing it by getting all the way in which to the rim and ending; watch right here, as an illustration, as he sizes up Nic Batum and places him on a poster Wednesday.
Tari Eason reveals his athleticism with this one handed dunk to stroll away with the Dunk of the Evening. #NBAAfrica pic.twitter.com/Z1VptEMoIt
— NBA Africa (@NBA_Africa) November 14, 2024
Eason’s play, together with that of Thompson, may ultimately power the Rockets into some troublesome selections on lineups and salaries. The 2 have been dramatically more practical than Houston’s starters, and Eason will likely be up for a contract extension after the season. For now, nonetheless, let’s benefit from the present.
Agbaji’s leap shot has at all times regarded like a factor of magnificence in pregame warm-ups, however in his third season, it’s lastly translating to video games. After making simply 34.6 % from 3 in his first two seasons in Utah and underwhelming in a late-season cameo after the commerce deadline, he’s emerged as a strong starter in Toronto by pulling down 47.9 % from distance within the early a part of the season.
Accuracy is paramount for Agbaji since he’ll by no means be a high-usage participant, however he’s additionally made an impression contained in the arc by focusing extra on transition and rim makes an attempt and ditching the opposite stuff. He’s solely taken two photographs between 10 toes and the 3-point line all season however is capturing 64.4 % on the rim.
On the third yr of his rookie deal, Agbaji establishing himself as a 3-and-D man would go a great distance towards getting his deal prolonged this summer time. His emergence has been a lot wanted on a paper-thin Raptors roster reeling from different accidents on the wing.
Whereas the remainder of the Bucks’ bench has been a wasteland, Inexperienced has delivered in his position in essentially the most pickup-legend manner doable: by by no means taking a 2-point shot. His 53 3-point makes an attempt with no 2 to begin the season is an NBA document, (sorry, Garrison Mathews), one which lastly got here to an finish when he missed a paint try Wednesday in opposition to Detroit.
Watching Inexperienced shoot, it’s laborious to consider he’s so correct. The undrafted guard from Northern Iowa tucks the ball all the way in which behind his head after which lets it rip, however the outcomes communicate for themselves. He shot 42.6 % from 3 within the G League in 2022-23 and is at 42.7 % for his NBA profession to go together with 92 % from the road (he shot 90 % in 4 school seasons). With a 50 % mark from 3 this season on a staff in any other case brief on floor-spacing choices, Inexperienced has established himself as an essential piece as Milwaukee tries to get better from a woeful begin.
He’s additionally essential on one other degree — as a cost-controlled piece on a minimal deal for one more season, one thing the tax-constrained Bucks desperately want on their books.
Misplaced within the madness of Miami’s weird loss to Detroit on Tuesday was the play of Herro in practically main the Warmth to an not possible comeback. Down 9 within the last 90 seconds of regulation, he made three straight 3-pointers to ship it to additional time, a part of a 40-point eruption that included 10 made 3s.
That wasn’t an outlier, both. By 10 video games, Herro has been Miami’s greatest participant, averaging 24.9 factors on breathtaking capturing splits: 54.7 % on 2s and 47.9 % on practically 10 3-point makes an attempt a sport. That provides as much as scalding 66.8 true capturing proportion, a notable change for a participant who traditionally has been center of the pack on this measure.
In a associated story, Herro has principally excised the lengthy 2 from his shot weight-reduction plan. He took greater than 1 / 4 of his photographs between 10 toes and the 3-point line in 2023-24; this season, that’s solely 7 % of his output, in response to Basketball-Reference.com.
Right here’s one middie he did make, although, a troublesome leaner with 1.8 seconds left in additional time to tie the rating Tuesday … a play forgotten within the craziness that occurred instantly after.
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(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb/ The Athletic; Pictures: Bart Younger, Eric Espada / NBAE by way of Getty Photographs)
