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Dyson Daniels is set to play a crucial role for the Atlanta Hawks in their NBA playoff matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks, finishing strong as the sixth seed, see Daniels as a key player after trading All-Star Trae Young earlier this season.
The so-called âGreat Barrier Thiefâ will be unleashed on to one of basketballâs most storied stages this weekend, as Australian Dyson Daniels storms into an NBA playoff battle against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Atlanta guard has, like his team, endured a mixed season. But both have finished strongly to make the Hawks a dark horse as the sixth-seed in an Eastern Conference bracket considered wide open.
Daniels had a taste of the playoffs two years ago with New Orleans, but enters the 2026 post-season as a key protagonist in one of the first roundâs marquee match-ups.
âItâs going to be fun, itâs going be a lot, the Gardenâs going to be popping,â he says. âBut these kinds of opportunities you live for and you dream for, and the only way to prepare for it, really, is to just trust your work, trust yourself.â
The Hawks have played into form since trading All-Star guard Trae Young in January, led by forward Jalen Johnson and off-season acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Yet perhaps no player on the roster has the potential to turn a playoff series like Daniels, after his prominence in the teamâs 28-win, 15-loss run to close the season.
The exclamation point was a triple double â the second of his career â in a win against the formidable Cavaliers a week ago. âThere was a point in the season where we were struggling a little bit, we were losing games, but we always believed in each other, we trusted the coaches,â Daniels says.
âWe played the same way the whole year, just once we started to gel and the chemistry started to come together, it really started clicking, and guys figured out their roles more and were able to flip the script and get wins going.â

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels drives to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets. Photograph: Angelina Katsanis/AP
The Australian received the NBAâs most improved player award last season thanks to his capable offence and relentless defence, but his contribution has since evolved.
Dyson Daniels is seen as a key player for the Hawks due to his potential to impact the playoff series significantly, especially after the team traded All-Star Trae Young.
The Hawks are entering the playoffs as the sixth seed in a wide-open Eastern Conference, making them a dark horse contender.
Dyson Daniels had a taste of the playoffs two years ago with the New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Atlanta Hawks.
Key players for the Hawks include forward Jalen Johnson and off-season acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have helped the team perform well after the trade of Trae Young.

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Daniels is still the primary defender on the oppositionâs point of attack most nights, but the addition of the rangy Alexander-Walker has tempered his defensive workload. Though he is still second in the league for steals, his rate has dropped from three per game to an average of two.
Danielsâ three-point shooting accuracy has also sagged from last yearâs moderate 34%, to 19% this year. Two months ago, he had more air-balls than makes from outside the arc.
Those raw numbers belie his steady all-round development, however. He has become a lethal transition player, thanks to his speed, rebounding and inside finishing, and his half-court smarts give the Hawks a flow they otherwise lack. His two-point field goal percentage is 58% â higher than snipers such as Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard â thanks to a large volume of finishes at the rim.

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels dunks during an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Photograph: Sue Ogrocki/AP
Daniels may not have the touch of the leagueâs finesse shooters, but he has found a way to contribute on offence to complement his defensive strengths. Measuring the Australianâs contribution by his impact on the scoreboard when he is on the floor compared to when he is off it, he â alongside veteran guard CJ McCollum â is the Hawksâ most important player, according to advanced stats site Cleaning the Glass.
The New York Post recognised Danielsâ influence this week when covering the challenge he will pose for the Knicksâ floor general and leading scorer, Brunson, describing him as a âdefensive stopperâ. No player has guarded Brunson more in the past two seasons than Daniels.
âHeâs a great defender,â Brunson says. âHeâs very smart and heâs able to use his wingspan and create havoc on and off the ball. He does a lot of great things for their team and puts them in position to be successful.â
Danielsâ Boomers teammate at the Hawks, centre Jock Landale, is set to miss the first round series with an ankle injury. Josh Giddeyâs Chicago Bulls missed the post-season, and Josh Green is only playing small minutes for the suddenly-hot Chicago Hornets, a situation similar for Matisse Thybulle in Portland. Other Australians are on playoff teams, like Joe Ingles in Minnesota, and Tyrese Proctor in Cleveland, but look to be outside the playoff rotation.
It leaves the Bendigo-born guard as the main Australian attraction in the post-season. Danielsâ father Ricky, brother Dash â who played in the NBL last season â and extended family will be there in New York, alongside a strong expat contingent in the Big Apple. âHopefully I donât get too many requests in New York for tickets,â Daniels joked. âBut yeah, this is a fun time of the year.â