Is Dyson Daniels playing today against Bucks? Latest on Hawks guard's availability for Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal (Dec. 14)
Dyson Daniels will play in the Atlanta Hawks' NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Australian guard is absent from the team’s injury report, confirming his availability for the high-stakes knockout game.
Daniels was a key contributor during the Hawks' quarterfinal victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The former New Orleans Pelicans standout logged 36 minutes, tallying nine points, seven rebounds and three assists while showcasing his elite defensive skills, a hallmark of his game this season.
Since joining the Hawks in the offseason, Daniels has been enjoying a breakout year, posting career-best numbers across the board and maintaining an exceptional level of defensive play.
Following the win over the Knicks, Daniels reflected on his defensive prowess, emphasizing how his instincts play a crucial role in his success on that end of the court.
"It's always been my instincts, use my hands, quick hands, I like to think I have really good hand-eye coordination so just knowing where the ball is going to be and knowing what (players])like to do and reading the game as well, being in the right spot," Daniels said.
"It's always been a strength of mine, the defensive end, getting deflections, getting steals, blocks, stuff like that, so it's just about being in the right spot and taking the challenge of guarding the best player every night."
Dyson Daniels on Atlanta Hawks' mentality
The Atlanta Hawks have delivered an impressive start to the season, currently sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with a 14-12 record. Led by Trae Young, the team has secured victories against some of the league's top contenders, proving their ability to compete at a high level on any given night.
Despite skepticism from fans and analysts about the Hawks’ potential ceiling, Dyson Daniels remains optimistic about the team’s ability to exceed expectations and consistently punch above their weight.
"We have a really good squad, and people might have doubted us and not expected us to be here, but we expected ourselves to be here and we know that if we play our own game, come in, get stops, get out and run and play the way that we want to play, we can compete with anyone and we've showed that this year with some of the teams that we've beat," Daniels said.
For the season, Daniels in averaging 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game through 24 games.