AUSSIE Dyson Daniels had his NBA career altered when he was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Atlanta Hawks during the 2024/25 offseason, but it proved to be a defining move that has helped him take the next step.

After playing his junior career on Australian shores, Daniels was selected with the eighth overall selection of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pelicans, who saw tremendous upside in his game. Having played two seasons with New Orleans, he was dealt to the Hawks as a part of a deal for the Pelicans to attain All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, and Daniels was set to be paired with Trae Young.

It was a career-changing move for the combo guard, who has now elevated himself into NBA stardom with a breakout campaign, stamping his claim as one of the best defenders in the NBA and a key piece of the Hawks moving forward.

Although he was always known for his defensive abilities, Daniels took that to the next level, and was one of the finalists for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award, eventually finishing as a runner-up to Evan Mobley. Despite not winning the award, there is no doubting that the ‘Great Barrier Thief’ has fully cemented his place at the top of the game on the defensive end.

On the season, Daniels averaged three steals a game, which was by far the most of any player in the competition, and was the first player this century to record over 225 steals, as well as the first player this century to average 3-plus steals a game, such is the historic nature of his campaign.

His start to the season was almost unheard of defensively, where he became the first player since Michael Jordan to record 15-plus points and 5-plus steals in four consecutive games, as well as the first player since Alvin Robertson to post six or more steals in four games in a row, etching his name into the history books with a memorable first couple of months in a Hawks uniform.

He also took a serious leap on the offensive end, jumping up from 5.8 points per game to be a consistent performer on the scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game alongside 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists, all of which are career-high totals. He took a lot of the heat off Young, who often struggled when his teammates could not help out on the production front.

Daniels was a legitimate game winner with his defensive prowess and impact, often energising his team with steals and transition scores and made life extremely difficult for some of the best players in the NBA with his constant harassing and hounding.

It was remarkably his first season as a starter in the NBA, which is astounding given the level of impact he had for Atlanta. With Daniels also finishing as a finalist for the Most Improved Player, the awards look set to continue for the Australian in the future, and he looms as a central figure on the defensive side of the ball in the NBA moving forward.