Dyson Daniels helps Hawks beat Celtics, is in line for first-team All-Defense

At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, exceptionally quick feet and active hands, Daniels possesses all the physical tools to be a defensive terror. But his impact goes beyond mere physicality. He wants to dominate opposing guards — get inside their heads and make them regret suiting up that night.

Daniels doesn't give his assignments an inch as a relentless worker on the court, covering 1.3 miles per game on defense — seventh most in the league. He is, “Thanks for coming in early, but we’re gonna need you to push through without lunch — the VP’s expecting you to run point for our presentation this afternoon. And don’t forget we’ve got that big pitch at 5, so dinner will have to wait. Oh, and could you lock up tonight, too?”

He's not racking up impressive numbers against opposing team's weakest shooters. Daniels has consistently taken on the challenge of guarding the top perimeter threats in the NBA, already shutting down multiple MVP candidates from last season:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 46.5 possessions (or partial possessions) held to 36.4% shooting with Daniels on him.
• Jayson Tatum: 30.6 possessions held to 42.9% shooting.
• (Most famously) Jalen Brunson: 48.9 possessions held to 37.5% shooting.

NBA shooting coach Marc Campbell recently praised Daniels’ ability to play one-on-one defense during the "Pick and Roll Podcast," saying, 

“He puts people in jail. He’s picking up full court. He is an absolute demon ... it looks like misery to be guarded by him.

"He has a certain hunger ... you can’t get a guy to care about defense like that. You can get people to care more, but you can’t get them to actually care the way he cares. His level of ‘I’m shutting this assignment down, this is personal to me.’ I couldn’t be more in on Dyson as a player, and I couldn’t be more in on the situation he is in.

"Give me all the Dyson stock; I want to buy it, I want all of it, and I want to hold it.”

We’re still in the season’s early stages, but at this rate, Daniels could be on his way to becoming the premier perimeter defender in the association. He’s already proved himself capable of shutting down some of the league’s most potent offensive weapons, and his willingness to redline throughout each and every contest suggests that this is just the beginning. If he continues to elevate his game, Daniels has the potential to emerge as a household name and a future contender for Defensive Player of the Year.