Dyson Daniels has been a big-time revelation for the Atlanta Hawks this 2024-25 season.
After departing his embattled situation with the New Orleans Pelicans, Daniels instantly found a home in the Atlanta Hawks, establishing his reputation as the most threatening defensive stalwart in the perimeter.
On a nightly basis, with his immense combination of length, size, IQ, and intensity, Daniels has imposed a solid defensive stand of his own. Paired with franchise star Trae Young in the backcourt, he is often assigned in guarding the opposing team’s top offensive wings.
Daniels’ superior defense has seen him lead the NBA this season in steals, averaging 3.0 snatches per game, which is about to become the highest since 1991.
He is widely tipped right now to be the soon winner of the Defensive Player of the Year, despite competition from OKC’s Lu Dort.
Dyson Daniels is set to finish the season as the league leader in steals and blocks
Regardless of whether he wins the award, Daniels is also projected to make another historic defensive statistic that puts him in esteemed company.
Daniels leads the NBA in total steals (191) while registering 46 blocks this 2024-25. Combining these numbers, he is at the leaderboard in league ‘stocks’ overall.
With a total of 237 steals and blocks – collectively described as ‘stocks’, he is positioned to become the first guard since the legendary Michael Jordan in 1987-88 to lead the said category in a single season.
Dyson Daniels is showcasing a historic defensive season worth appreciating
In the 1987-88 campaign, Jordan attained an individual dream season as he was not only named the league MVP, but he also clinched the Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Playing in 82 games, the Chicago Bulls great recorded 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, totaling 390 stocks.
On his end, Daniels already logged 62 games for the Hawks. With 14 games still left on the table in Atlanta, his numbers will definitely increase further until the end of regular season this April, barring any unfortunate injuries that may occur.
It can’t be denied that Victor Wembanyama’s stunning season shutdown due to an alarming health condition certainly played a factor for Daniels potentially winning honors. Before going down, the San Antonio Spurs phenom was the clear favorite to win the DPOY award.
But at the end of the day, we still have to appreciate the stellar defensive season that Daniels has been showing, which is set to go down in the league record books.