Hawks' Dyson Daniels becomes youngest NBA player ever to reach bonkers milestone
03/24/2025 12:27 AM
The 2024-25 season has presented its fair share of challenges for a retooling Atlanta Hawks squad. But one thing’s for sure, the Hawks have been assembling a nice young core around Trae Young — with his backcourt mate, Dyson Daniels, continuing to set records in his first full season as a starter in the NBA. On Sunday night, in a 132-119 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Daniels was at his best thieving self yet again, recording five steals to extend his two-plus steals streak to seven games.
And in so doing, Daniels has set himself apart even further in the steals department — making NBA history in the process. According to StatMamba on X (formerly Twitter), the Hawks guard became the youngest player in NBA history to record 200 or more steals in a single season, at 22 years old and seven days.
Daniels has always been an excellent per-minute producer, but through the first two seasons of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was stuck in a bench role behind the likes of CJ McCollum and Herb Jones. The Hawks then sought him as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the Big Easy and promptly emerged as the undisputed winner of that blockbuster deal.
Daniels now has 202 steals on the year, which is the fourth-highest tally in a single season since the turn of the century. The Hawks have 11 more games before the season ends, and if the 22-year-old guard manages to suit up in every game and record his season average in steals per game in every contest, he will be finishing the season with around 235 steals, which would be the 14th-highest tally in NBA single season history.
The 22-year-old guard truly prides himself on the defensive end, and it’s hard to imagine where the Hawks would be if it hasn’t been for his contributions this season.
Dyson Daniels’ offensive development for the Hawks is underrated
Dyson Daniels has long been regarded as one of the better defenders in the league, a certified elite defensive playmaker who hounds opposing ballhandlers and plays passing lanes to perfection. But it’s his development on the offensive side of the ball that has allowed the Hawks to give him so much burn.
Daniels is averaging 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on 48/34/59 shooting splits in addition to his 3.1 steals per game, and at 22 years of age, it won’t be long before he emerges as an even greater two-way force for the Hawks.
The post Hawks’ Dyson Daniels becomes youngest NBA player ever to reach bonkers milestone appeared first on ClutchPoints.
