His impressive gains as a scorer, defender, rebounder and play-maker helped him claim the top spot in the voting for most improved player. Thanks to his role as a starter beside Young in Atlantaโs backcourt, Daniels improved his scoring from 5.8 points per game with New Orleans in 2023-24 to 14.1, his rebounds from 3.9 to 5.9, his steals from 1.4 to 3.0 and his assists from 2.7 to 4.4.
โI got told a lot this year that my defence is infectious,โ Daniels said. โTo me, that means Iโm doing my job.
โI know as a team we have a long way to go on the defensive end, but I think this year we took a step in the right direction.โ
Daniels is now entrenched as am important cog for the Hawks, joining Young, forward Jalen Johnson and 2024 No.1 overall NBA draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, who was the runner-up in Tuesdayโs rookie of the year award won by San Antonioโs Stephon Castle.
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