Dyson Daniels: 6'7.5" 195 lbs

Dyson Daniels is another Australian jumbo facilitator. He presents the allure of being a very good passer with plus size with the capacity to score too. And on the other end, he is an above average defender who strives to be more than above average on that end comparing his game defensively to Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso. Daniels' proficiency as a shooter is what will define his career because his size an intelligence at the position are rare but if he can shoot he can be better than those he is often compared to such as Kyle Anderson or Evan Turner.

Strengths:

• Smart and sizable facilitator.

• Quick feet on defense that allows him to defend quick guards and bigger guards/ wings alike.

• Intelligent defender.

• Good change of pace in his offensive game.

• Good rebounder.

• Displayed good shooting performance at the Combine that encouraged scouts which is a positive outlook. (that is his swing skill).

Weaknesses:

• Daniels shot only 16/62 above the break from 3. As a point guard many 3's he will get will come from that area and he must improve the jumper to truly succeed.

• Daniels had instances of struggling to break pressure from quick pesky guards. Makes me question his point guard designation at highest level if not able to handle and break pressure.

• Daniels is nearly 6'8" but only shot 39% at the rim or on floaters and will need to improve that in the NBA.

• Does not create well for himself off of the dribble (but plays within himself which I appreciate).

• Had some turnover issues but with a young and gelling team I find less fault in his turnovers than if they were all awful decisions.

• Not a terrific half court athlete.

Dyson Daniels is a tricky evaluation because he checks the boxes in terms of measurements and feel for the game a la Josh Giddey but Daniels must be a competent shooter off of stand still and off of the bounce to have the impact on the offensive side of the ball the rest of his game says he can have. Daniels is a pure jumpshot and half court athleticism away from being a top 5 pick but what does he become if he cannot shoot at an NBA level? I believe Daniels will be in the NBA 12 plus years due to savvy and size but he doesn't scream all-star to me despite my adoration for jumbo-facilitators.

The Rundown:

I would say that I can’t believe that it took me until 2.6 to have my own personal Dyson Daniels epiphany, but that would somehow be giving myself too much credit. The real reason I have received this recent dosage of insight is actually much more shallow and amateurish, but should probably be disclosed beforehand for transparencies sake. I am a known sucker for wings, and when I saw a tweet saying that Dyson Daniels has had a recent growth spurt to 6’7 WITHOUT SHOES? Essentially making him a 4 position player while he’s playing basketball at 6’8.5 in shoes? I was hooked, and more research had to be done. That research told me (rather bluntly) that I was an idiot who didn’t understand the factors to success in the current NBA, so here we are. So, before we begin, everyone please give Dyson Daniels a hefty round of applause for bolstering up the number of lottery level prospects in a class where I consistently have trouble finding a 13th and 14th dude I would consider lottery level, he’s not the hero we deserve but he’s definitely the hero we need right now.

Some quick philosophy talk before we dive in, I am staunch in my belief that if you are (a) positionally tall, (b) strong, (c ) versatile, (d) athletic, and (e) smart, it is almost impossible to completely fail as an NBA player. Those 5 traits give you enough distinct roads to success, success that is directly correlated to what is valuable in the NBA today, that failure is the deviation and not the norm. Every single team needs physically exceptional, smart players who can fill a variety of roles, so an easy train of logic leads to an understanding that every team needs a Dyson Daniels, be it the current version or the fully actualized “ceiling” version. Dyson is apparently 6’8 in shoes now if you choose to believe it (I do, Mike Schmitz tends to be one of the most reputable in the business), has a chiseled frame (I bet he weighs more than 199 lbs but if that is accurate he must have a very low body fat percentage), can operate on or off the ball and can guard multiple positions, and always has control over the game with his technique and pace. These traits give him a high enough floor that I buy an immediate impact which in turn leads to development and greater success.

To go over some specific skills, lets start with his calling card, his perimeter defense. On the ball, Dyson is probably the best perimeter defender in this class, and his strengths are only amplified if he has grown to 6’7. The hope is now that this increased height hasn’t decreased his lateral foot speed outside of the margins, because his ability to effectively swallow the ball handler at the point of attack with his generational combination of foot speed, length, strength, and anticipation is one of his greatest selling points. There are two main types of on the ball perimeter defenders, being “impactors” and “impacted”. Impactors force their will upon the offensive player, dictating what moves they can attempt, and controlling the pace. Impacted defenders are the ones that react accordingly to offensive players moves, which sometimes leaves them a step behind the play. Dyson is solidly in the impactors camp, using his quick hands and feet along with his exceptionally strong base and core to seal off driving ways and passing lanes before the offensive player even considers them. This is where one of the main themes of Dysons game begins to show; he plays STRONG. If he is in position, he will not be forced out of that position by anyone, especially perimeter drivers. Dyson is exceptional at forcing the worst shot in basketball, the mid range pull up, onto offensive players after he has used his brick-wall-esque frame to cut out their pathways to the rim. He also has some of the quickest hands in the class which, when coupled with his extraordinary anticipatory abilities, can wreck havoc on his opponents. One of my favorite microskills of his is his uncanny ability to pick off overhead passes from the player that he is guarding at the point of attack by raising his arms a split second before the player enters his actual passing motion. This results in easy defense to offense possessions at a rate not often seen by recently turned 19 year olds. Dribbling near Dyson is a tricky endeavor with his ridiculously quick hands combined with his playstyle that makes him ready to gamble. He loves the wrap-around steal that is conducive with those aforementioned defense to offense possessions, he loves to work from behind the play, a la Matisse Thybulle, in order to impact his opponents in a very unique way, making himself the predator on defense. Screen navigation isn’t necessarily one of his strengths but I definitely wouldn’t say its a weakness; he is fully capable of getting skinny but this part of his game isn’t a next level attribute like the rest of his on-ball defense stuff. I’ve just been listing microskills for a bit, but to summarize his on ball defense, it is clear to me that it’s the best in the class due to the combination of speed, strength, and IQ that doesn’t come around every day.

I wouldn’t say that Dyson is as elite off the ball as he is on the ball, but he is 100% a very very strong positive when he isn’t guarding at the point of attack. To start, his most intriguing skill in my book, his rim protection. I am not sure I have ever seen a guard that projects to be as good at defending the rim as Dyson Daniels (depending on your positional classification of Matisse Thybulle), and he does it in ways outside of the Dwyane Wade weakside blocks, he can be placed square in the paint and impact shots in borderline-absurd ways. The wingspan isn’t anything insane, a plus 3 is great but not something you write home about, but his timing and technique combined with the strength creates something special in this department. This showed up most plainly in transition defense where he was often the first one back, got his feet set, and swallowed shot attempt after shot attempt at the rim. Dyson is an expert at taking up the most space as possible with his arms and torso, making him seem much bigger than the 6 '6-7 that he was playing at in the g-league. He doesn’t get moved from spot at going up vertically, his chest is strong enough to take a beating from incoming drivers without giving up the space that he carved out. His recovery blocks are also spectacular for a guard, where he scouts out the path that can get him to the ball handler as quick as possible, before using his strong lower body to claim position before rising up quickly and swatting it away. This is where his 2 foot leaping is most useful; he is always square before going up and always has force when elevating, straight-up verticality is never an issue when Dyson is jumping off of 2 feet. Sometimes 2 foot leaping as opposed to 1 foot leaping can take a little bit more time to load up, but Dyson is definitely an effortless leaper. His rotations off the ball are quick, with his reaction time and processing speed continuing to shine. Daniels is certainly better as a strong side help defender than on the weak side, where he can use his strength to “mug” ball handlers, as well as his quick feet to make up any ground he gives up on his man when helping on the dribbler. When he is one the weak side, Dyson is still a positive, but more prone to falling asleep. His recovery abilities when he does get beat by a cut on the weak side are exceptional, and I expect this to get fine tuned out with more experience and a shorter leash, but it is 100% his biggest current flaw on the defensive side of the ball. He does like to sky for the weak side blocks, and there is certainly a bit of the benefit of surprise when he is on the court because often times opposing players seem shocked that he can impact their shot so much when he wasn’t in the play a second ago, but when he does have to move to make the rotation as opposed to already being in the paint or the strong side his 2 foot leaping does become a bit more of an issue, just limiting explosiveness in some specific scenarios. Still, I expect him to come into the league and be a better rim protector than basically every guard, and still better on the weak side than 95% of the little guys, if he can still be classified as that. The last thing that needs to be talked about on defense that makes the versatility that he brings with his rim protection actually viable, is his rebounding. It makes sense that he can track the ball so well considering his IQ and processing speed being so evident in other parts of his game, but it is still something to behold watching him rip the ball out of a big man's grasp at the highest point possible. Dyson is excellent at both primary types of rebounding; stationary and tracing (please don’t hate on me for this, I kinda just made up these terms I bet they have official names). Stationary is when he is already in the paint, picks a man, and boxes out. He gets very low (something that I forgot to mention earlier, he is always low on defense, he very rarely is upright) and boxes out guys much larger than him, before jumping up high and strong with his 2 footed leaps, and then snatches the ball and brings it down with excellent technique. In crowded airspace his strength, wingspan, and natural Aussie toughness really shines, giving him an ability to sky up and bring down boards that other guards are simply physically incapable of retrieving. The second type of rebounding, tracing, is when he is guarding up on the perimeter and the ball bounces off the rim, where the name of the game is less strong box outs and more aerial acrobatics. He traces the ball exceptionally well, predicting the bounce better than most anyone, before using his long arms and strong hands (some of the strongest in the class, it is not easy to take it from Dyson once he gets his paws on the rock) to make sure that his team ends the defensive possession well. It is impossible to be lackadaisical with your rebounds when Dyson is on the court, as he finds a special kind of pleasure from ripping the ball out of bigger guys who don’t put just as much effort into the art of rebounding that he does. Sometimes he has an odd tendency to steal the rebound from his own guys, but I personally don’t have much of a problem with it. It has a couple of benefits, firstly showing that his motor is always on and if trying to teach him to not snatch it from his teammates means he doesn’t always chase after the ball with the same ferocity, it simply isn’t worth it. It also leads to great transition opportunities, because Dyson LOVES to rebound and run, more on that a bit later. Rebounds are more impactful when Dyson grabs them, so if I can choose between Dyson or a big bringing it down I side with the Aussie 100% of the time.

I wouldn’t blame you if the 6 pages on his defense fools you, but there actually is another side of basketball. Dyson isn’t as dominant on offense, but his rather unique set of traits still make him a clear positive. His calling card on this end will be his passing and decision making, which shines especially bright when he is running the pick and roll. One of the most overlooked traits when evaluating primary initiators is pace, can you run the game at the speed and style that is conducive to winning for you and your team? Dyson is a master at pace, never getting sped up or slowed down by the opposition. One of my favorite things about his game (on both ends, actually) is how it always feels like he is in control of the game. The defense really can’t do much to force him out of his comfort zone, and his processing speed gives the sense that he is a step ahead of the opposition. He doesn’t really make a ton of mistakes with the ball in his hands, the shots won’t always go in but he is more than comfortable taking what the defense gives him without trying to force something that isn’t there. Back to the pick and roll, Dyson is exceptional at getting a solid shot most times when running this action. He excels at running as close to the screen as possible, making the pick and roll a true 2 on 1 game, as it was intended to be. When going downhill, he is adept at always considering all of his options. Dyson has one of the best floater games in the class, and it extends out to a bit past the free throw line, so it is very hard for the defense to play a true drop, and it helps make up for the fact that he doesn’t have the best pull up jump shooting game at this point. So, with the big man focusing on this, a variety of options emerges. He can hit the rolling big with precision, being able to utilize a large repertoire of different passes in the low post. If a defender from the corner helps down to make up for the disadvantage the big man must account for, created by the threat of Dyson’s feathery floater, he is jubilant to hit the skip pass to the corner, right in the shooter's pocket. Of course, don’t be fooled into thinking that Dyson is a perfect passer. He isn’t the most creative of playmakers, instead relying on technique and fundamentals to hit the open man. These can only get you so far, and there are looks that it appears that Dyson can see, but he just can’t hit with the likes of Josh Giddey or Lamelo Ball. He has good anticipation of openings along with the ability to pass his teammates open, but he’s nothing special in this regard. I would project him to be a firmly average starting NBA point guard purely in the sense of passing, but the looks that he can hit in the pick and roll are so prominent and necessary in NBA offenses that he should be capable of running an above average attack at the next level. One of my favorite things about him in the long run though is that he won’t always be tasked of running that offense, his set of skills make him more than capable of being an off-ball player as well. Dyson’s IQ translates very well to the offensive side of the floor, as he makes well timed cuts and screens to create open shots for him and his teammates. This, combined with the fact that I personally trust his catch and shoot three ball to be a legit weapon, make him more than capable of being an off ball weapon at the next level, giving his future coaches a bevy of lineup options that don’t exist for many guards that are stuck at just playing point guard. Of course, the stats don’t love my projection of his jump shot, but he got a lot better at shooting as the year progressed, and when he isn’t asked to move he has a pretty consistent and repeatable form. This, combined with the fact that if he is played at the point along a jumbo sized creator (so a significantly smaller player is guarding him), along with his excellent touch on floaters and runners that often has a direct correlation to future shooting projection, make him seem like a pretty safe shooting bet once he is placed in an NBA coaching situation. When he does play off-ball, one of my favorite microskills out of anyone this year is his ability to carve out position in the post and work off of mismatches. He realizes he can physically overpower a lot of the guys assigned to guard him, and his post up game is refined to match. He loves a baby hook or a turn around floater, utilizing his excellent touch rather well. Dyson’s fairly quick second jump along with his post up tendencies presumably makes him seem like an Australian Shaq for the poor G-League players assigned to guard him down there throughout the year. His post passing to the big after creating advantages with his interior play is also quite impressive, being able to thread the needle in ways a 19 year old in a professional league really shouldn’t be able to do. One of my LEAST favorite microweaknesses out of anyone this year is how easily and often the chair gets pulled on him when the defender thinks he is overutilizing his strength in the post. This is the only time that he doesn’t seem in control. He isn’t terrible at regaining his balance but I can’t remember a prospect that this happens to so often. Still, he is great in the paint, with a wide variety of finishing options in his toolbox. He is very acrobatic in the air, and that combined with his strong hands and long arms give him a ton of different options when driving into the paint. His touch isn’t as great when he isn’t operating out of the midpost with floaters and he has to go hard, but it isn’t something that I am particularly worried about.

However, there are a few other flaws that make me think that he doesn’t have the highest upside on the offensive end. Firstly, his 2 foot jumps sometimes do cause a bit of an issue when he is driving into the paint. It’s good when he’s posting up, or operating slowly out of the pick and roll, but when given a full head of steam he doesn’t have the verticality you would like from a lead guard. This lack of explosiveness adds a handicap to his overwise dominant frame. I also don’t buy any late clock self creation anywhere outside of the post, due to his lack of burst and fairly simplistic handle. I wouldn’t call his handle bad, I would call it efficient, but that comes with the problem that he doesn’t often leave his defender leaning with his dribble moves. His burst issues are somewhat made up for by the fact that he needs less burst due to his exceptional strength, but it does limit his potential upside as a self creator. Dyson also definitely would not be considered a pull up shooter, where he appears clunky and stiff. It isn’t a fluid motion for him bringing the ball up from the dribble to the shooting motion, and I don’t really ever expect it to be. Teams found a bit of success going under screens on him. If he is given a second to load up he seems to be ok, but a slowish release does limit his potential shooting upside in the long run. As I said before, I do buy his long term catch and shoot outlook, but asking him to pull up may be tricky. Still, I don’t think any of these issues hurt him enough as a pick and roll operator, which I believe will be his main area of expertise and role at the next level, so the flaws are downgraded to more so inconveniences than anything that will tank his long term potential.

With Dyson, the name of the game is versatility. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him playing any of the 5 positions at the next level, due to his quick feet, quicker brain, and frame that is, apparently, still growing. There are so many different routes to success for Dyson that he seems like a relatively sure bet, in a draft context. So sure, his handle isn’t exceptional (I do like the flashes though), he doesn’t have the most athletic pop, his passing reads aren’t often going to get fans jumping out of their seats due to creativity, and his 2 foot leaping style isn’t conducive to a lot of highlight finishes. His textbook understanding of the game, along with a defense that will make basketball fans lose their everliving cool, all combined with an offensive game that will lead to an efficient attack on the basket, make Dyson the type of prospect that I will always bet on, especially if they happen to be 6’8 now. Wings win rings.

The Synopsis: 

A dominant physical presence for a guard, Dyson excels on both ends with his high processing speed and reflexes. He swallows up smaller players trying to create advantages at the point of attack, and has generational rim protection for a guard. Makes the right read on offense, even if his game there is a bit simplistic. Always in control.

Shades of:

Jrue Holiday, Ron Harper, a bit of Dray, a bit of Kyle Anderson, a sprinkle of Zo, a bigger TJ McConnell

Daniels is made of 6MOY material. He uses his tight handle and good frame to get open shots. He has a smooth release and can hit shots from anywhere on the floor. He hasn’t shot super well for the Ignite, but he has shown potential as a spot up shooter. Not only that, but he can make shots off the dribble and he is a good self-creator. He is tall for his position and is a good passer in the pick & roll. He needs to improve his shooting, but he has shown that he has the skillset to do so. During his pro days and drills at the combine, he shot the lights out. He moves well off the ball and is a good defender when he is concentrated. Daniels no doubt has the skills to pay the bills.

Comparison: Smaller Josh Giddey

Projected Draft Range: 5-12

Best Team Fits: Sacramento, Toronto, Philadelphia

Height 6'6

Weight 205 lbs

Wingspan 6'9

DOB 3/17/03 (Draft Age: 19)

Pre-Draft Team G-League Ignite

Offense

• Slow load mechanics shooting, but good shooting base.

• Prefers to attack and operate 10 feet and in.

• Smooth floater, and runner

• Length and ability to be a really good transition player.

• Wants high percentage shots and finishes them.

• Passing instincts seem to be in a good place early in his career.

• Sneaky spin and handles.

Defense *Length to become a versatile defender.

Swing Factors

Role

• LOW:

• HIGH:

Ranking Scale:

Athleticism: 5/8

3pt shot: 6/10

Finishing: 5/10

Handle: 6/10

Playmaking: 5/8

Defensive Versatility: 7/10

Defensive Positioning: 5/8

Rebounding: 4/6

NBA Fit: 6/10

Total Score: 49/80

Tier 2

Floor: Top 6 rotation guy, providing consistent playmaking and defense

Bullseye: Core starter, primary or secondary playmaker, elite and versatile defender - fringe all defense

Ceiling: fringe all star , top 3 player on championship team, perennial all-defense, primary playmaker

OFFENSE Pass - Grade: 94

Notes: Daniels is one of the best passers in the draft. His assist numbers (5.1 for the season), along with almost every other statistical category (6 in the last 2 months), improved drastically as his season with the ignite progressed. Daniels thrives as a passer in transition and out of the PnR. He is extremely smart and is great at leading his teammates to open areas of the floor with his passing. While he is methodical, he is also a quick decision maker. He is great for the flow of an offense as he makes the quick and simple read, and takes what the defense is giving him. He thrives at manipulating or reading defenses in 3 on 2 situations that present themselves in the half-court, always finding a rim cutter or open shooter. As the ignite season progressed, Daniels clearly was able to quickly pick up on the offensive tendencies of his teammates and put them in optimal positions to score. Daniels passing goes further beyond assist numbers, and he is not an assist hunter. He is a great hockey assist guy and generally a great ball-mover. Daniels versatile passing both in the PnR, half-court, transition, and outlet passes at a young age and his size (another factor as to why he's such a great PnR passer) is rare. Daniels is a great passer at a standstill or on the move. He can pass with either his right or his left, and has great accuracy and touch on his passing whether its a full-court outlet pass, a lob, a pin-point bounce pass to a roller, or a cross court pass to an open shooter. Daniels is a phenomenal rebounder, is fantastic at making a pass to start the break with incredible speed. His outlet passing was an incredible asset to the Ignite offense. In a league that's best defenses are built on being set in the half court, this skill will prove to be incredibly valuable. Daniels did struggle with turnovers at times, but this was largely due to the adjustment of the G-league pace and over-leading cutters at times. These are passes that will actually be easier to make at the next level, and will become easier as the game continues to slow down for him. His passing versatility is not just the variety of passes he can make, but also the variety of ways in which he can make those passes. Daniels sees the floor and cutters at such a high level, and can create scoring opportunities with his passing on top of that.

Dribble - Grade: 86

Notes: Similar to Daniels' passing, his handle is very effective although it is not flamboyant. Daniels is great at maximizing his dribbles, taking long strides, and attacking open gaps/space. His handle is very secure and under control, is a very protective ball handler. Has an effective but not quick first step and great footwork. He does lack blow-by speed in the half-court. Phenomenal at attacking out of DHOs. Has a bag of jabs, stabs, pivots, and stunts that he uses before he puts the ball on the floor. Great at changing speeds in the open floor and when navigating screens. Has a go to spin move. Has limited uses crossovers and behind the backs almost used as counters rather than go-to moves, prefers to post up or attack at angle in isolated situations. Has a nice and effective hesitation dribble. Quick with the ball in his hands in the open court. Patient and never in a rush with the ball in his hands, but understands what pace he needs to be playing at - is rarely hurried or rushed by defenders. Loves to get defender behind or locked next to him on dribble drives, has a knack for putting defender in jail. Uses strength and arm bar to protect ball on drives and to create space. Dribble relatively slow but is always going into space, and is very unpredictable as he is constantly surveying the floor and changing speeds and direction.

3pt shooting - Grade: 70

Notes: Daniels has a really nice and improved mechanics on his shot, but shot the ball poorly for the season at 30%. Daniels shot 4 for 19 on threes in January, but clicked in February and March ending the season on 10/19 3pt in the final 6 games of the season. His shot mechanics and confidence improved a substantial amount throughout the season. He shoots square, has a high release point, and a great follow through. He also does not hesitate to let it fly and has legitimate confidence in his shot. It is clear he understands how important it is for him to become at least an average shooter, and understands how valuable his ability to space is to himself and his team. His mechanics are no where near broken, and I project him to be a near league average 3 point shooter on mid to low volume. His great touch on floaters and around the rim, along with his passes, are encouraging for his long-term shooting progression. However, his poor FT% (60% for the year) does not favor his long-term shooting projection. Daniels shot 14/19 from the line in the G-league showcase, but just 10/26 for the rest of the Ignite season. The sample size for his 3 point shooting and free throws are both not large enough to be confident in his projection in either direction, but the eye-test favors his shooting progression in a big way. I would be truly surprised if Daniels isn't at least close to league average on a respectable volume from 3 in 3-5 years from now. Jumping straight into the NBA 3 point line is an adjustment that we have seen good shooters struggle with an ultimately figure out, and I have faith Daniels will follow similarly.

Mid-range shooting - Grade: 85

Notes: Daniels did not shoot it well from the mid-range level, but did show signs of promise. His floater is his go-to shot in the midrange area. He shot just 39% on floaters this season, but shot them at a high clip and improved as the season progressed. He was able to get his floater off in a variety of ways and with ease due to his length. This will be an essential part of his scoring in the NBA. The eye test shows that Daniels has great touch on his floater, and he is clearly comfortable/confident in taking that shot. Additionally, Daniels did take 36 mid-range jumpers this season and shot pretty well on them (21/36, 58%). He was comfortable in situations where he had to pull-up from mid-range off the dribble. He is a really good scorer in the in-between areas, which further bodes well for his pick and roll game and other steady, downhill situations.

Finishing - Grade: 83

Notes: Daniels shot 73/137 at the rim this season, good for 53.35. Not as good as you would hope for a 6'8 a guy with downhill skills and good touch, but as with everything his finishing improved as the Ignite season progressed. Daniels isn't great at absorbing and finishing through contact, but is great at avoiding and maneuvering around contact and finding creative ways to get off shots in the painted area. Again, for being 6'8 and a downhill attacker he does not finish above the rim as much as you'd like. Daniels does have great body control and timing on his finishing paired with great touch. He is a good finisher with both hands. He's patient in his attacks and is very methodical when finisher over or around bigs. He can be jarringly slow in his gather and footwork, which throws off some bigs but also results on him getting blocked relatively often. He is comfortable with gliding into bigs at an angle when going downhill, but struggles to finish when going east-west or vice versa. Is comfortable dribbling into post ups, but relies on a jump hook/floater in these situations and will often spin or dribble into space out of the post rather than backing his defender down. Daniels is agile and does have hang time and good in-air body contortion combined with good touch, and is good at getting to his spots. Due to his size, touch, and decent athleticism he will be at least an average finisher in the NBA. Once he gets stronger and if he is ever able to absorb and finish through contact, he will be a really good finisher. I project Daniels to be an above average finisher due to his floor combined with his IQ and pattern of progression. Once Daniels gets a more defined game with consistent go-to spots, and becomes even more comfortable going coast to coast I expect Daniels to get plenty of good looks around the rim on a game-to-game basis. Aggression is not an issue with Daniels even though contact is. Daniels will always attack downhill, which is why his finishing will consistently improve.

Off-ball playmaking - Grade: 85

Notes: Daniels understands where he needs to be at all times, which a big as to why he never hesitates to space the floor and shoot the open C&S three when the ball is swung to him. Daniels is a great and opportunistic cutter, although he does not cut at a high volume because of how often he was on the ball and how often he needed to simply space due to how the Ignite played (someone is driving with tunnel vision almost always). There were enough reps of high post touches and other cut-friendly situations as to where Daniels could display his IQ and positioning. I expect Daniels to become a much more high volume and effective cutter in the NBA. Daniels did ball watch at times, but I don't hold that against him due to the system and personnel he was playing with. Daniels engagement is almost always at a very high level and along with his IQ I expect him to be able to be good enough off the ball in the half-court, that paired with his confidence and willingness to not just space the floor but put up open C&S threes.

Offensive Rebounding - Grade: 88

Notes: Daniels is a really, really good rebounder on both sides of the floor. On offense, he incredibly opportunistic and has incredible timing. He is weirdly physical in rebounding, as he is not banging bodies with guys but he fights for position simultaneously as he glides in on his crashes. He averaged 2 OREB per game, but from the guard/wing position that is great value. His OREBs jump off the tape as they always result in something whether its a put back, a slick pass to an open big or shooter, or a simple offensive reset. Daniels goes up for boards with both hands and maximizes his length while relying on his elite timing. He gets the majority of his OREBs off of 3 point attempts, giving him plenty of time to plan his coordinated crash and catch defenders sleeping on their boxouts.

Offensive Summary: 85

Notes: Daniels is going to be an awesome complimentary offensive player in the NBA. Daniels will be somewhere in-between the ball brother, Franz Wagner, and Kyle Anderson. Daniels is going to his fair share of offensive duds in his first couple seasons. Expect to see a decent amount of games where he only scores 4-6 points with more shot attempts than points in his rookie year. Expect him to struggle at first to find a comfortable role in the half-court. Daniels knows exactly what he needs to do. Daniels has specified his goals of speeding up his release on his 3 pointer, adding dribble counters, adding strength and width to his frame, and further improving his floater and mid-range pull-up. Daniels knows exactly needs to be done for him to be a great offensive player. Daniels already has the unique passing qualities that you can't teach, which is why I value him as a top 5 prospect in this draft. The most important take-away with Daniels 3 pointer is that he already has good mechanics that are established and that he is confident in. That is a massive difference maker between other prospects who have poor 3 point shooting numbers. Daniels shot is not a broken project, the wheels are already in motion on his progression to being at least a league average 3 point shooter on a respectable volume. This is a big reason as to why him going to the Ignite was so valuable for him. Daniels is going to create valuable scoring opportunities for his teammates from day 1. He is going to generate easy, simple baskets multiple times a game which will force his coaching staff and teammates to quickly enjoy his presence on the court. His ability to be such a great passer on and off the ball will allow him to stay on the floor despite the likelihood of him being an inefficient scorer as a rookie. His offensive floor is much higher than it may seem, his willingness to take the open threes when they present themselves is incredibly important to his ability to be an effective off-ball player in the half-court. He will make enough of them to be able to comfortably stay on the floor, even though he may have some 0-2 and 0-3 3pt outings. Additionally, his value has a PnR ball handler and DHO downhill attacker + his value in creating efficient, valuable transition opportunities for his offense will make it very difficult to keep him off the floor. If one of his at the rim finishing, floater, mid-range, or 3 pt gets to a near elite level at a high volume he will be a very good offensive player. If two of those categories get to a near elite level at a high volume he will be a great offensive player. If he gains the ability to get to the line (and make free throws at a league average clip) at a decent volume on top of becoming near elite on high volume in two of the areas, Daniels will be an elite offensive player.

Defense

Engagement - Grade: 90

Notes: Daniels' defensive engagement is great. He got lost rotations more than you'd like for a defender and a guy with his IQ than you'd like, but this was a common theme with all of the Ignite perimeter defenders. I expect this issue to be resolved pretty quickly in the NBA. His overall engagement is great. He's very active is an is always surveying. His attentiveness is to screen navigation is elite. Daniels always knows who he is guarding and how to play them. His attentiveness and engagement on defense is 100% a strength of his.

Containment - Grade: 93

Notes: Daniels' containment is already elite, although it is unorthodox. Daniels has a give and take style of 1 on 1 defense, rather than just trying to stay in front of a guy the traditional way. He is almost elastic in his defensive movements, relying on his wingspan rather than his core to be in position to contest shots. Daniels is also great at using his core on defense, using his long torso to absorb contact to the chest without being moved off his spot. He has quick feet on closeouts and when moving laterally. Active hands. Good at beating defenders to spot, and forcing defenders into uncomfortable situations. When he does get beat, he has an elite mirror contest and is phenomenal at getting back into the play. His instincts are already elite. His frame is also great and is what allows him to be so effective laterally and absorb chest blows. He's an incredibly smart on ball defender and is great at using his natural athletic and physical gifts to maximize his IQ when defending on the ball. He often looks like he is almost beat but ends up being in perfect position to contest a shot or drive. He rarely leaves his feet. Is great at walling up on drives despite lacking strength. Swallows up smaller guards and denies larger players post ups. Can truly guard 1-4 at a very high level, in all areas of the game.

Team Defense - Grade: 86

Notes: Daniels' misses consecutive rotations at times and commits simple off-ball mistakes. This was largely in part due the nature of his defensive environment, which there was clearly not much influence on. He was not as aggressive in the gaps as you would hope for. His team defense was still good, and there aren't any concerns in getting those minor mental errors fixed up once he's inserted into a real defensive system. His IQ very high, he has active hands, covers lots of ground, is great at navigating screens, sacrifices his body, and is already a good weak-side help defender. He projects to fit into a team defense nicely, and should be great to elite team defender.

Rim Protection - Grade: 90

Notes: Daniels an elite rim protector relative to his position. He is great at contesting shots at the rim on drives, post ups, or as the rotating help defender. Elite timing on his contests whether it's a vertical contest, as the primary on ball defender or as the trailing defender. Elite at chase-down blocks in transition. Maximizes his length, has great coordination, good at contesting without fouling. His ability to rotate and protect the rim at a pretty high level paired with his elite on-ball perimeter ability is one of the reasons he's such a valuable defender.

Playmaking - Grade: 95

Notes: Daniels is a stocks machine. Active hands, great positioning, and great timing paired with length and coordination making him an incredible defensive playmaker. Additionally, his ability to get the break going by make quick outlets or going coast to coast himself make his stocks ability that much more valuable. Daniels has great timing on his reaches and gambles, and is phenomenal at getting back into the play when his gambles don't work out (which is not a regular occurrence).

Versatility - Grade: 99

Notes: Daniels can legitimately guard 1-4, and is also a great post defender. Daniels uses his lateral quickness to stay in front of smaller, quicker guards and uses his frame and length to cover big wings. He is a guy that will be legitimately guard the other team's best scorer unless it is Embiid and Jokic. In an NBA that is switch heavy, particularly when it counts, Daniels elite defensive versatility will be incredibly valuable.

Defensive Rebounding - Grade: 93

Notes: Daniels is an elite rebounder for his position. It was easier for him in the G-league than it will be in the NBA since it was less physical and so transition oriented, but Daniels will still be fantastic on the glass at the next level. Daniels is so motivated to crash the defensive glass due to his ability of making elite outlet passes and pushing the break himself. He uses his length and timing rather than the traditional boxout to crash the glass, but due to the fact he is always on guards and wings this is rarely ever an issue. He rebounds in a similar way to Westbrook did in OKC. The Ignite bigs often sealed their big to allow Daniels to soar in and grab the board, as they knew how valuable him getting the rebound is to their offense. D

Defensive Summary: 95

Notes: Daniels is just a defensive dream for the modern NBA. He can guard 1-4 at a high level. Great screen navigator. Stocks machine. High IQ. Fits into any scheme. Great as trail defender or point of attack defender. Will undoubtedly improve off-ball, needs to utilize his length and lateral ability more in the passing lanes. Consistently great understanding of the scouting report. Amazing at using length to contest shots on all types of shot attempts. Will be able to guard the opposing team's best guard or wing scorer every night. Elite rebounder for his position. All of that paired with his knack for rapidly starting the break is why he is such an enticing prospect.

Measurables: 88

Height: 6'7.50

Wingspan: 6'10.50

Weight: 195

Standing Reach: 8'9

Functional Athleticism: 80

Great lateral quickness

Great center of gravity

Ok vertical pop

Ok explosiveness

Ok open floor speed

Idk why people don't view Dyson Daniels as a high potential guy. Which I think he is but he also has a fairly high floor. Pound for pound the best defender in the class. Great on ball defender, even better team defender, will likely be able to defend 1-4 eventually. Amazing combo of size, athleticism, defensive ability and playmaking. Needs to put work into his catch and shoot 3pt shooting and shot creation. Probably will never be a particularly great scorer but could definitely see him improve a lot. Very high value in terms of player archetype.

Best fits: Houston, Detroit, Indiana, San Antonio, Washington

Player analysis

Dyson Daniels was a hidden star for the G-League Ignite last season, although not being close to a leading scorer for his team he managed to emerge as the best prospect on the entire roster. Daniels is very tall and long for a combo guard and displayed a multitude of skills that projects him to be an extremely versatile player in the league. Dyson originally only stood at 6’4 before sprouting to his current height at 6’8, he originally learned his guard skills before his growth spurt so he possesses some really unique traits. Daniels passes the ball very well and was very effective at getting the ball to an open shooter, he often drove to the basket with the intent to either dish it out or score through contact. He isn’t the best finisher despite his length due to upper body weakness but that is very common among 19 year old prospects so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He was an okay shooter for most of his season but displayed a big improvement after his season was over during NBA draft combine shooting drills, Dyson performed great during agility tests and was one of the fastest players there despite being bigger than most guards. Also during a Wizards pre draft workout he performed a drill that only 3 players have ever completed out of every player to do a pre draft workout with Washington ever which involved doing sprints up and down the court. Daniels could be a fit with almost any team that could use a complementary guard, even with a team trying to win now Dyson brings a polished and veteran styled game.

Projections

Draft range: [ 6 - 10 ]

Comp: [ Lonzo Ball + ]

Strengths: Defense and Decision Making Weaknesses: Explosiveness and Creation

High Side Comp: Tyrese Haliburton/ Josh Giddey Low Side Comp: Kyle Anderson

Ideal Fit: Secondary Ball Handler and Defender

Draft Range: 5-13

Result: 8- NOP Athleticism: 5/10 Size: 5/5 Defense: 8/10 Strength: 2/5 Quickness: 6/10 Creation: 4/5 Jumpshot: 5/10 Finishing: 3/5 NBA Ready: 4/5 Ball Handling: 5/10 Passing: 8/10 Intangibles: 4/5 Potential: 8/10 TOTAL: 67=Late Lottery