Dyson Daniels has been the breakout player of the 2024-25 season. Since leaving the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the DeJounte Murray trade last summer, the Australian point guard has turned into one of the best defensive players in the league and is now a candidate for both Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.
Advertisement
Recently, Daniels joined the TNT Post-Game Show with Adam Lefkoe, Candace Parker and Vince Carter. The group went through Daniels’ transition from ignored bench player to respected stopper and the defensive ace of the Atlanta Hawks.
Daniels went back through some memories of his time playing youth basketball in Australia and remembered the player he wanted to be then. He said, “Ever since I was a junior playing back in Australia, that’s been my instincts. Being a step ahead, being able to read the ball, and know where it’s going… It’s all about getting that edge on them.”
That approach and work ethic has paid dividends, as Daniels said opponents are treating him differently now. While he had always been a stout defender, this is the first year that his matchup has consistently passed the ball out to avoid challenging him.
When he finished detailing his approach and focus on the defensive end, the show went to commercial. It was during this ad break that we got some excellent content.
Once a basketball junkie, always a basketball junkie as Candace Parker and Vince Carter stood on the in-studio half court and went through moves and counter-moves, rip throughs and up-and-unders, displaying their shared love of the game. After Vince demonstrated a set of post moves, Parker had no choice but to poke a little fun.
“Dyson’s like ‘I’m locking ALL that up'” @Candace_Parker & @mrvincecarter15 were running sets in the studio https://t.co/NKTwP7Jtlc pic.twitter.com/gExu681s5z
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 1, 2025
It’s hard to bet against Dyson as a defender, but this may be a battle the Great Barrier Thief loses. Prime Vince Carter was a menace from the mid-range. Statistically speaking, Carter’s most effective range was either directly at the rim or from the long two point distance.
The unfortunate news for basketball fans is that the matchup today would be hugely one-sided as Vince Carter is 48 years old and Dyson Daniels is a world class defender.
