Australia’s Dyson Daniels, the first-season Atlanta Hawks guard, has been voted the NBA’s most improved player.<\/p>\n
Dyson Daniels, who led the NBA in steals while making dramatic improvements in scoring, rebounds and assists for Atlanta, has been named the league’s most improved player.<\/p>\n
Daniels beat out fellow finalists Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers and Cade Cunningham of Detroit.<\/p>\n
“I got told a lot this year that my defence is infectious,” the Bendigo born and raised Daniels said.<\/p>\n
“To me, that means I’m doing my job.<\/p>\n
“I know as a team we have a long way to go on the defensive end but I think this year we took a step in the right direction.”<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old emerged as a productive starter at shooting guard for the Hawks after arriving in Atlanta in the trade that sent high-scoring guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans on July 6.<\/p>\n
Daniels now is entrenched as an important foundation player for the Hawks, joining Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and 2024 No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, who was the runner-up in Tuesday’s rookie of the year award won by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle.<\/p>\n
The Hawks finished 40-42 this season and were 0-2 in the play-in tournament to miss the playoffs.<\/p>\n
“I think we really showed growth this year and obviously we didn’t get to where we wanted, nowhere close,” Daniels said.<\/p>\n
“But we can definitely make some noise next year and I’m looking forward to it.”<\/p>\n
Daniels led the NBA with 229 steals, the most since Seattle’s Gary Payton had 231 in the 1995-96 season. He finished as the runner-up to Cleveland’s Evan Mobley in the voting for NBA defensive player of the year.<\/p>\n
Daniels’ nickname \u2014 Great Barrier Thief \u2014 is a nod to his roots in Australia and defensive prowess.<\/p>\n
Thanks to his role as a starter beside Young in Atlanta’s backcourt, Daniels improved his scoring from 5.8 points per game with New Orleans in 2023-24 to 14.1, his rebounds from 3.9 to 5.9, his steals from 1.4 to 3.0 and his assists from 2.7 to 4.4.<\/p>\n
Daniels became only the fifth player since 1973-74 to average at least 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals, joining Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Michael Ray Richardson and Alvin Robertson.<\/p>\n
Hawks coach Quin Snyder lobbied for Daniels to be recognised as the league’s top defensive player but also took note of the young guard’s overall gains.<\/p>\n
“I think his ability to be as effective as he is on the ball, you see that and feel that,” Snyder said.<\/p>\n
“I think also his ability to drive the ball. So to me, those two things are his aggressiveness. And in order to be aggressive, you have to be fearless. So I think maybe the biggest thing that I wanted to try to communicate to Dyson to the extent we can instil something in someone is don’t be afraid to make a mistake.”<\/p>\n
The most improved player award, like several other NBA honours, was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Australia’s Dyson Daniels, the first-season Atlanta Hawks guard, has been voted the NBA’s most improved player. Dyson Daniels, who led the NBA in steals while making dramatic improvements in scoring, rebounds and assists for Atlanta, has been named the league’s most improved player. Daniels beat out fellow finalists Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers […]<\/p>\n