NBA Future Watch: Dyson Daniels Basketball Cards, New Orleans Pelicans – Dyson Daniels comes all the way from Australia to help embody basketball’s position-less future. He has potential at point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. Dyson’s father Ricky played at North Carolina State before continuing his career Down Under with the Bendigo Braves – the same squad that Dyson would play for in 2019.
Daniels took up basketball at age seven and advanced through the Australian basketball youth ranks, but he was simultaneously earning acclaim as a rising star in Australian rules football. He even competed for his native Victoria against other states. Once Daniels focused solely on the hardcourt, his profile grew, joining the NBA Global Academy, playing on the gold medal team at the 2018 FIBA Oceania Under-15 Championship, leading Victoria to a silver medal at the 2021 Australian Under-20 Championships and playing for the Australian National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup qualification.
Earning a spot with G League Ignite, Daniels flashed impressive all-around skills, posting 11.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.9 SPG. Additionally, Daniels earned the opportunity to play in the Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2022 and competed for the winning team. Daniels’s decision to declare for the draft was validated when flew up draft boards, landing at #8 overall in New Orleans.
With a starting rotation largely in place, the Pelicans will have the luxury of bringing Daniels along at a deliberate pace in their rotation. They will benefit immediately from what he can deliver from day one, while developing him into the player that they envisioned with their selection. While Daniels’s mid-range and outside shooting are a work in progress (although his form is good), he might have one of the most delicious floaters in the league from the start. As someone who projects to spend the bulk of his time in the backcourt, at least initially, Daniels will project as a good rebounder for those positions. Daniels is an excellent athlete, albeit he is still learning to translate his capabilities to game skills. With an excellent motor, he has become a strong defender, with the potential to grow even stronger off-ball.
New Orleans had stars in their eyes when they selected Daniels, passing over talents that might have higher floors initially, but lower ceilings in the medium and long term than this second-generation player. If they have chosen wisely, and Daniels’s work ethic attests that they have, they will add to their core potentially one of the top two-way players of this decade.
NBA Future Watch: Dyson Daniels Basketball Cards, New Orleans Pelicans – More Resources
- Secondary Market Pricing
- Beckett Card Catalog
- 2021-22 Pro Set Power Basketball Cards Checklist
- 2021-22 Leaf Metal Basketball Cards
- NBA.com Player Profile
- Dyson Daniels on Instagram
- Dyson Daniels on Twitter
NBA Future Watch: Dyson Daniels Basketball Cards, New Orleans Pelicans – Image Gallery
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