Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels December 3 Media Availability
Last time you played the Clippers after the game, you and Chris Paul had a really cool little moment there. He’s obviously got cut. You’re not going to see him tonight, but just wondering if you can tell us what he spoke to you about specifically in that moment. He just told me to shoot the ball. I mean, he’s he said basically said, you know, I worked too hard on defense and every other aspect of the game to, you know, basically not reward myself by shooting the ball. So, um, people go on the screen, shoot, whatever you open, shoot. Doesn’t matter if you go pretend. the only way you’re going to know get better is is by getting reps. So that’s what that’s what he told me and it makes sense. So very simple but yeah coming from a guy like that um definitely you uh at the time you still had your steel streak going and he is the alltime leader 108 I think it is. Obviously your streak’s ended now but did he talk anything about that and was he encouraged you to sort of go and get his record? Yeah, he told me not to break it. He didn’t do it. And um yeah, I mean it’s it’s done now. So, you know, we have to build it back up again. But um I’m happy with how we’re doing on the um team defensive side, you know, doing well there. So, just about continuing to make improvements and we got to rebound better. That’s a big aspect for us. But, um yeah, obviously a guy like Chris Paul, you know, he leads he’s been he’s been one of the best, you know, with his hands for for however long he’s been in the league. But um yeah, just cool to speak to obviously all time great uh who also announced that this was his last year. Yeah. So what was your reaction when you were what happened with him? Yeah, I mean I I don’t know anything like it was kind of wild and I just see that waking up. Um yeah, I mean I’m sure there’s going to be some more stuff come out about it. So I just I don’t really know anything but it’s kind of crazy man. I was wondering just plays my dad play this game hall of fame. Um so yeah, you see a lot out of it. Obviously Detroit was one of the top or is one of the top rebounding team in the league, but when you watch the film, what can you take away from that game that can help you guys be better? We just all five of us have to rebound. You know, we have to a lot of times long rebounds from three-point shots. So we’re getting two stop in the basket and it’s going over our head. So, we got to kind of protect that like foul line area and we also have to, you know, help Owen, you know, KP crack back on on the bigs. Um, you know, to got some big guys down there. So, it’s it’s tough, but you know, there’s no excuse. We got to be better. We got to be more physical down there and we just got to come up with it, be more square. Dyson, you brought up shooting. Just wanted to know how do you feel your shooting has been going so far this season? Yeah, obviously it’s been bad. you know, it’s not not anywhere near where I want it to be, but the only way to turn that around is, you know, keep shooting it and make shots get reps up. So, uh, I just got to continue to trust it. You know, the shots are going to be there. Um, so it’s just about, you know, taking the taking those shots, taking the right ones, and stepping in with confidence and knocking it down. So, um, you know, obviously hasn’t been where I wanted to, but, you know, I know I can turn it around. First time in over a vlog. You guys actually have back to back home games. It’s been a one stop here and then back on the road. Just what is that like? What does that do for you guys when it can be a couple of nights at home back to your normal routine? Yeah, it’s it’s obviously a lot better being at home to sleep in your own bed and kind of have your normal routine when you’re at home. So, um looking forward to it. You know, um we have like a looking forward to that break actually. You get like five or six days off. So, that’ll be that’ll be good. Um yeah, we’ve had a a lot of away games, but I know around Christmas time we have like five or six games at home in a row. So, um it’s how the schedule works, you know. Um you’re either going to have it uh bad early or bad on the back end. And I’d rather I don’t even know what our schedule looks like after 2 years. We’ll get there when we see it’s just kind of, you know, game by game. You know, I’m playing all the time, but obviously it’s a lot better being away. Come on, you don’t have it memorized. Um, but when you look at that, seeing so much of this schedule frontloaded with grown games and evaluating how you guys have done in that and where you’re at at this point, just how would you, you know, give your evaluation of what you guys have done specifically with the front loaded road schedule? Yeah, obviously we’ve been we’ve been good on the road this year and um for us it’s about protecting home court as well. That’s that’s important and um you know, you got to win games on the road. You got to win tough games and no game’s an easy game whether it’s at home or on the road. So, um, I’m glad that, you know, we kind of in a way took care of our weight games, but now it’s taking care of the home stretch. Zach sort of had an up and down start to his sophomore year in in the league. I mean, you kind of went through something similar in New Orleans. What advice can you give Zach to kind of break through maybe that sophomore slump that they might call it? Yeah. I mean, Zach works so hard, you know, he’s just got to trust his work. You know, we got to give him confidence as a team. You know, keep keep telling him, you know, shoot his shots, you know, get on the rim. Um, he’s such a, you know, a dominant player when he wants to be. you know, he’s got the one of the best frames like athletic. He’s got all the tools. So, you just got to you got to trust himself and um I definitely, you know, me at the start of the year, I was kind of, you know, you know, he had a lot. Um I’m sure, you know, he’s probably questioning, you know, whether he should shoot shoot shots and stuff like that, but us as teenagers, we just got to have his back. You know, he’s still so young. He’s trying to trust himself. He’s one of the hardest workers on the team. He’s in the earlyies getting his shots up. So, uh all you can do is trust yourself. It’ll turn over for him. you know, we have no no doubt about Zack and we’re um excited to see what he can do for us and um yeah, people go through slumps and he’s having a good son now, but he’s going to pick it up. Dyson, after that Detroit game, I noticed Jaylen was talking to you and on when you guys were coming off the court and then I mentioned it to him. Just what has it been like having his voice and just having him kind of step in as a leader? No, he’s been great. Um obviously his game’s elevated to a whole another level and his leadership has as well. you know, just in huddles, talking to guys, um, you know, being more that vocal leader and, you know, he’s not the biggest talker, but, you know, when it comes to, you know, what he sees in the floor, he’s got a really good IQ. So, he’s been sharing that with guys and and telling telling us where he wants us, you know, spacing and see on the defensive side, you know, um, you know, telling us, you know, you got to be more physical, rebound, like just all those little things that, um, you want your leaders to do and, um, he’s doing that, you know, stepped up that this year, so it’s been good. as a teammate. What is it like seeing that sort of in real time like somebody stepping into a leadership role as their sort of onc court role grows? Yeah, it’s cool. Um I mean it’s my fourth year in the league now so I kind of like you see guys develop a little bit and that’s my second year playing with Jaylen and just to see him take that step this year has been you know testament to his work and um you know his leadership has just come with him. So um you see that when guys you know start to get older, they start to become more of leaders and that’s what I’ve seen with JJ. Um, we have a really young team, so he’s he’s 23 or 24, something like that, but he’s still, you know, one of our vets on this team. So, he’s he’s been a really good leader for us. So, last question for me, Dyson, just I saw you sneak kind of into the the Skyhawks game the other week. Uh, just what was it like for you and why did you, you know, go to support the team? Yeah, just go and support the team, support my guys. I had a few of that um our teammates down there. So, it was cool to go see them play and um told them they can’t get rolled over like that again. So, you know, I’m I’m glad they the last two games they they’ve been doing a lot better, but um yeah, I like to support them when I can. So, it was uh it was good to catch up game. Did you choose to sit in the stands? You didn’t want to sit like I like to chill and you know, I just kick my feet up. I’m laid back a little bit. So, you know, that was my my my choice for sure.
