Life in the NBA as a defense-first player can be richly rewarding when you effectively put the clamps on a highly-regarded opponent, but there’s never time to get comfortable. Less than two months into his rookie season, Dyson Daniels learned that first-hand over a pair of trips to the Arizona desert.
“Last year (facing Phoenix All-Star guard) Devin Booker, I held him to like 13 or 14 points, and then a (month) later he came back and dropped 58 on me,” Daniels said. “There are going to be those type of games. You’re going to have people score a lot of points on you when they’re great offensive players. It’s about bouncing back and making sure you make it tough on them. I’m excited for this year, and guarding some good guys.”
At just 20 years of age, Daniels will continue to be asked to slow down elite bucket-getters like Booker – his defensive ability was perhaps the biggest reason Daniels emerged as a lottery pick in 2022. But the native of Australia also spent the bulk of this offseason working on other aspects of his game, getting stronger physically and working on his jumper (31 percent on threes last season). The Pelicans are encouraged by the progress he’s made over the past few months.
“We know Dyson is solid defensively,” head coach Willie Green said. “Now it’s just about creating an offensive identity and being a solid player for us. We know he can do it. He’s been really good, starting in summer league but even in camp for us.
“We just need him to be solid (on offense). Sometimes that is being aggressive, attacking the paint. Sometimes it is, ‘I’m open … shoot.’ ”
Daniels did exactly that in preseason, shooting 48 percent from the field and connecting on 42 percent of his dozen three-point attempts (though he went 2/7 on free throws).
“It felt good to see a few go through the bottom of the net,” Daniels said after going 3/4 from the arc vs. Houston on Oct. 12. “The shot felt good. I’ve been working on it with (Pelicans assistant coach) Fred (Vinson), so to see a little bit of a reward for that, it felt good.”
The No. 8 overall draft pick’s ability to consistently make open perimeter shots could lead to an increase in minutes (17.7 per game as a rookie in 59 appearances, including 11 starts). He showed progress in multiple areas during preseason, averaging 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per 36 minutes. Like virtually every rookie, Daniels experienced ups and downs in 2022-23, including being a DNP in Game 82 and the Pelicans’ play-in loss to Oklahoma City. A severe January ankle injury seemed to curtail the momentum and confidence he’d been building during the first half of the campaign.
“Last year I was frustrated with how I finished the season,” Daniels said. “I didn’t feel like I was out there being myself and playing my game. Last year I felt like if I made a mistake, I’d be passive the rest of the game. Now I feel like I’d rather make five mistakes than be passive. I’m looking forward to being more aggressive, having a bigger role, being a playmaker.”