Virtually every NBA rookie or young player can benefit from words of wisdom or advice from older teammates. Fortunately for New Orleans first-year shooting guard Dyson Daniels, he has a pair of veterans who are tremendous resources and willing to help. Both also possess considerable experience at his position.
Following the first official practice of his NBA career Tuesday, the 19-year-old Daniels referenced CJ McCollum, 31, and Garrett Temple, 36, as Pelicans he’s leaning on to help him make the adjustment to the world’s premier hoops circuit. Daniels, who’ll remain a teenager until his March birthday, spent 2021-22 playing in the G League.
“I’m with CJ a lot,” Daniels said. “We play the same position, so (I am) learning off him. Garrett Temple has a good basketball brain. Those guards have been in the league a long time. I want to pick their brain. Very good vocal leaders who point me in the right direction. So I’m learning every day for sure.”
Dyson Daniels on his first day of training camp | Pelicans Training Camp 2022
McCollum and Temple enter 2022-23 with more combined years of NBA experience (21) than Daniels has on the planet since being born in Australia in 2003.
Daniels’ youth was further highlighted Tuesday when he was asked about Zion Williamson, responding of the Duke product, “He’s a great player. I watched that guy growing up.” He continued, “To see him on the floor, looking healthy, being in shape, it’s going to be exciting to see what he does this year.”
Other notes from Tuesday’s opening day of training camp:
Daniels on New Orleans’ projected style of play: “We want to play fast this year. We have some athletes to get up and down the floor. So we want to play as a team, play fast, play defense. We’ve got a lot of talent on this team. It’s just about playing together.” …
McCollum and Williamson decided to do a post-practice, “joint interview” after they were both ready for the media at roughly the same moment. Instead of one making the other wait to be interviewed, the two starters simultaneously addressed the media.