Dyson from Down Under
The Pelicans get an A+
Shortly after saying I wanted to trade back unless "the" guy was there, the Pelicans believed "the" guy was and selected NBA G League standout rookie Dyson Daniels. At 6'8 and nearly a 7' wingspan Daniels has proven he can defend next level players by making the jump from down under directly into the G League. He bet on himself to put up solid offensive numbers in his representation in the FIBA Asia Cup in 2021 and followed that up with defensive skill set and desire in his 26 games with the NBA G League Affiliate Ignite. I believe if him or Sharpe are not there at 8 (and assuming no one that was supposed to go higher falls), the Pelicans would have explored trading back. Daniels was the one they wanted and the defensive minded, long wing saga continues for the Pelicans franchise.
Strengths:
I want to start out by mentioning his length again. His only year in the G League he grew two inches and at 19 his growing may be finished but, it finished at nearly the prototypical height for a solid wing defender.
He is fast, and loves to crash the boards then push the pace. His shuttle time was the best at 2.81 at the G-League Elite. He didn't score a lot, but did average above 7 rebounds and 5 assist in his time in the G League. To add to this, he managed to tally 2 steals a game to his G League stat line.
Willing. Whether its a willing defender, willing teammate, or willing worker. He wants to be the best. In an interview, he stated his long term goals are MVP, DPOY, ROTY, but followed that up with: “Those are long-term goals of mine. In the short term, earning my spot on the roster, earning my spot in the rotation”. He wants to play ball first, and understands the rest will come with it.
Weaknesses:
His 3 Point shot leaves a lot to be desired at only 25% and a rather slow wind up. However, on pro day, his jump shot looked way better. So much better, in fact, that he impressed many and answered the biggest question mark on his game jumping up to a top 5 pick in some peoples eyes. I am confident we can lock him in a room with Coach Vinson and work on mechanics to get his shot up quicker and more consistently.
His dribbling stance is a bit high in the half-court. During transition running he sees the floor well and dribbles more effectively, but as a primary ball handler quicker guards and wing defenders can make him pay for dribbling the ball high.
Conclusion
I am not proud of my down under low hanging fruit joke, but it is there, and I am sticking with it. Daniels may need a bit more refinement but the development of Jose, Murphy III, and Jones as rookies in addition to the huge jump we saw Brandon Ingram make, I am okay with him needing time. He does not quite feel like a "project" but also does not strike me as a bona fide impact player in his first season. He will provide even more depth and youth to a team that feels ready to make a deep run.
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