The Atlanta Hawks opened up their season with a 120-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets at home. The team was able to overcome a late run by the Nets and showed flashes of the promise some have envisioned with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson leading the way. Onyeka Okongwu stood out by pouring in 28 points, but newcomer Dyson Daniels showcased a versatility on both sides of the court that could be the exact remedy the team needed.
Daniels had 15 points of his own, but it was his noticeable effort on the defensive end that caught the eyes of many. Daniels came over in the trade for Dejounte Murray where he served mostly as a defensive specialist in New Orleans. He will now get the opportunity to run starter minutes and his intensity and effort could be the spark that's been missing from the team that has failed to return to their 2021 form when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Hawks are projected to be in a lot of close games this season as they should be one of the highest scoring teams in the league, but their defensive ability overall may be lacking once again. Daniels being one of the outliers in that regard would go a long, long way.