Dyson Daniels Scouting Report

Dyson Daniels is one of the most up and down players on the G-League Ignite. An Australian point guard with NBA level passing ability and a struggling jumpshot, heard this one before? 

Bio and Measurables:

Strengths: Daniels is a 6-6 guard with great size and length for his position which allows him to be an active participant on both ends of the floor. He is a solid rebounding guard that can instantly start the break, thread the needle in transition or get downhill to the basket. As he continues to grow, being able to instantly start the offense is going to be an essential skill in a fast paced NBA. He has also shown that he can move in transition without the ball and act as a cutter getting to the basket and finishing around the rim. While he is best coming downhill, Daniels has shown that his size and length in the halfcourt also allows him to get to the basket and navigate through traffic if necessary. Comfortable finishing on both sides of the rim, the best part of his offensive game is his floater. A shot that has become the most consistent and effective part of his game, it is going to act as a true “giant killer” in the league. One of his most translatable offensive weapons, his efficiency using the floater inside the paint makes it hard on defenses to stop him when he gets in that deep. From the outside, he is continuing to develop his shot and has shown to be a willing shooter with good form and fluidity. He has the potential to improve as both a spot up and catch and shoot guard. Daniels also excels as a passer and floor general. Based on his size, he has great court vision and is always looking to find the open man. On an international level, he has shown to be a good decision maker in the pick and roll and should find more success in these sets when he is drafted to a team with better spacing. Defensively, he has shown great potential to be one of the top two way rookies in his draft class. His size and length allow him to disrupt passing lanes and get steals that lead to easy transition baskets. A solid motor compliments his ability to defend multiple positions, defend through traffic and contest shots without fouling. Only averaging 2.1 fouls a game during his Ignite season, his lack of fouls is a testament to his ability to stay low in his stance and flip his hips to contest without contact. As he grows the defensive end of the floor should only become easier for him as both a team and individual defender. His flashes of being a baller stopper in transition, defending through the pick and roll and helping around the rim is something that NBA organizations should be willing to invest in.

Areas of Improvement: The Australian guard is a good athlete but isn’t a great athlete. He isn’t super explosive and without any real bounce or elevation he finds himself shooting the ball on an angle or falling away when he is contested around the rim. While his length and size give him an advantage in that area with smaller defenders, bigger rim protectors have proven to give him problems. His first step isn’t super quick and he is a solid but basic dribbler, limiting his ability to shake defenders and create a shot for himself with the ball in his hand. Defenders have shown that they can stay in front of him and force the ball out of his hand because he can’t get around them. Only shooting 1.5 FTA per game, Daniels prefers to alter his own shot to avoid contact which leads to a lower percentage look at the rim. An average ball handler, at his current level he is most likely not a primary ball handler in the NBA. He has a tendency to carry the ball high when bringing it up the floor or operating in the half court which allow smaller and quicker guards to get underneath and create turnovers. He will be challenged to take care of the basketball at the next level and his lack of creativity with the ball is only going to make it more challenging to keep defenders from pressing him. Outside of taking it to the rim he lacks creativity with the ball and isn’t able to create his own shot or shake a defender from the outside. When the game speeds up at the next level, questions surrounding the time it takes to release the ball on jumpshots could cause him to struggle even more from behind the arc. There have been moments of hesitation in the G-League to shoot from behind the arc and with little to no mid-range game he is currently limited on the offensive end. On the defensive end he may have trouble with smaller guards and has been shown to get lost when playing off the ball. His lateral quickness should be a minor concern considering the lack of a quick first step. Daniels should also continue to work on his decision making when getting into passing lanes, too many gambles could leave him behind the ball and put additional pressure on the rest of his teammates to defend. As an NBA prospect the majority of these areas of improvement can be address in his rookie year, he has already shown major growth in the G-League and looked like he belonged during All-Star weekend. A high upside player with the rounded abilities of an international guard, Daniels will have no problem finding a NBA home to work on his game. 

External Factors: Daniels has experience at the international level playing with Australia’s youth teams. With a well rounded international game, it should be easier for him to adjust to the speed of the game going forward. Ideally, his international experience will allow him to develop faster in an NBA system and address his offense woes early. 

Medical History: There is currently no medical history that would be of concern in regards to Daniels. 

Summary: As one of younger players in this draft class, his potential and progress is hard to ignore. Daniels has had trouble putting it all together during his time in the G-League but has been improving every game. Ideally, Daniels is drafted into an offense that spaces the floor so he can shine as a distributor while developing his scoring game. Look for the Australian guard to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round. 

MIP Projection: Mid First Round (16-22)