Dyson Daniels burst onto the scene in his first season as a starter in the 2024-25 campaign. He averaged career highs across the board and took home the Most Improved Player award. His lockdown defense against the game’s best earned him a runner-up finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting and a First-Team All-Defense selection.
His defensive prowess carried over into the 2025-26 season, but his offense took a step back. Jalen Johnson’s rise to All-Star status and the additions of Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker impacted his usage. However, his struggles from beyond the arc necessitated a major offensive shift, and as a result, teams changed their defensive game plan against Atlanta.
Dyson Daniels’ 3-Point Struggles Present New Challenge for Hawks
Daniels’ 3-Point Shot Dips From a Season Ago
Daniels’ improvement from downtown was one of the Hawks’ biggest storylines last season. He put up career-high numbers in makes, attempts, and efficiency. The eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft averaged 1.1 three-pointers per game on 3.1 attempts, resulting in 34.0% efficiency.
Instead of taking another leap in this area, Daniels’ outside shot regressed through the first 19 games of this season. In fact, he currently owns career lows in all three categories, shooting just 19.2% on 1.4 attempts. He has only five 3-pointers for the campaign. Teams consistently leave him open and go under screens, daring him to shoot. His unwillingness to shoot and inefficiency from beyond the arc shrink the floor, making it more challenging for Atlanta’s halfcourt offense to generate quality looks. Johnson stepped up his game in this area, but Trae Young’s injury leaves the Hawks without one of the best offensive orchestrators in the league.
Daniels went through shooting slumps at times last season. He shot 27.9% from deep in 17 November games and 27.7% for 13 January contests. Despite these valleys, his confidence never wavered, and he continued to let it fly. However, this season, that has not been the case. Through the first 19 games, Daniels played six without attempting a 3-point shot. He only had five of these contests last season in 76 games.
Teams Change Their Defensive Coverage, and Daniels Adjusts
Two teams decided to make a drastic change to their defense and force Daniels to beat them this past week. The New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets put their centers on the Hawks’ guard. This allowed Mason Plumlee and Derik Queen to patrol the paint, daring Daniels to beat them with his outside shot. However, the 22-year-old did not shy away, and Atlanta won both contests on a back-to-back with travel.
Daniels scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists in the Hawks’ 115-98 victory over New Orleans. He attacked Queen off the dribble throughout the contest, making his former team pay for the unorthodox coverage.
Dys right to the rack with the left
He’s up to a dozen on the night pic.twitter.com/Fp8oBS98tl
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025
One night later, Daniels scored a season-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting with nine boards and six assists against Charlotte. He moved well off the ball, finding gaps inside the Hornets’ paint for open floaters. Daniels also set ball screens, putting Plumlee and Moussa Diabaté in the action instead of allowing them to roam inside. After the game, Daniels explained how the Hawks benefited from Charlotte’s defensive game plan.
“It was about getting in the paint, creating for myself, creating for others … If they’re going to be that far off me, then we can use that to our advantage with me setting screens and getting guys like [Johnson] downhill. I’m able to play in the pocket, use my floater,” explained the Hawks’ guard.
Dyson drops in a couple floaters to start the 3rd
pic.twitter.com/BQ0G3xwdwz
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025
Daniels also emphasized the importance of finding his three-point shot for the team’s long-term success. It will be interesting to track Daniels’ three-point volume and efficiency throughout the campaign after a slow start.
© Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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