Everyone in the NBA is aware of Dyson Daniels’ world-renowned strengths and his polarizing weaknesses. He just finished his second consecutive season earning All-Defensive honors.

It’s promising for the 23-year-old as he enters the first of a four-year, $100 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, and he’ll be under a microscope this year as the league waits with bated breath to see if he’s finally improved on offense. 

Daniels has been in the gym letting it fly

Daniels has spent a lot of his time this offseason working on his shooting drills. It’s been a litany of exercises, from contested jumpers to stepback threes. Of course, it’s always different with the pressure of a game, but it’s smart to expand his shot diet.

It’ll provide a tremendous increase in confidence for the young Australian, and the improvements are mandatory as the Hawks rise up the ranks. After a rollercoaster of a 2025-26 regular season, they made the playoffs for the first time in three years, and won two games against the New York Knicks.

The series offered many valuable lessons, and the biggest for Daniels was the disrespect he received from the Knicks. Jalen Brunson and his cadre of champions would leave Daniels wide open from three, and rightfully so.

Even the biggest Hawks fans have to admit it was hard to watch. Daniels got to work right away, shooting three after three. His improvements are very intriguing since adding a consistent jump shot to his repertoire could make him one of the best two-way threats in the entire league. 

We’ve already seen him average up to 14.1 points per game while shooting 34% from three, so he certainly has the potential. It all depends on how Head Coach Quin Snyder will incorporate his new skill into the Hawks system. 

Could Daniels’ improvements have a negative effect?

We all know what happens when a defensive star improves their offense; there is normally a trade-off.

Their point totals increase, but at the expense of their defense. In this situation, Daniels can avoid this by focusing on spot-up shooting rather than shot creation. 

The spacing creates more opportunities for the Hawks, giving top-scoring options Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson more room to operate. If Daniels can return to a healthy percentage of 33 or more, fans should be satisfied. It’s a lot to ask for him to become a sniper in one summer, and it’s honestly better for Daniels to become a moderate three-point shooter. 

Although his jump shot was an undeniable con, Dyson turned it into one of his pros. He’s acted as a pseudo big man, setting screens, rebounding, and prioritizing playmaking. We saw Karl-Anthony Towns act as an offensive hub for New York, running plays as a center from the top of the key, and Daniels has done the same for Atlanta. 

Having two stretch bigs in Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale allowed their unique offense to work. Now, they can add Henri Veesaar and Zuby Ejiofor to the equation, giving Daniels more shooters to pass to. 

The biggest thing for him this summer was adding a much-needed weapon to his arsenal, and it’s clear he’s worked very hard to do so. We’ll have to wait until October to see his hard work pay off, but he’s bound to shoot better than 18.8%. 

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