Thrown into the deep end in preseason, Aussie Dyson Daniels is ready for the NBA challenge

“Guarding DeMar DeRozan, he’s gonna pump fake, he’s gonna try to get to the foul line,” the 19-year-old told ESPN.

That’s not all.

“Trae Young,” Daniels continued. “He can come off and shoot from seven, eight feet beyond the arc… he hit me with a few stepbacks, quick moves.”

Over the New Orleans Pelicans’ preseason slate, the Australian rookie — who has a rounded game but is regarded as a defensive specialist — was matched up with some of the NBA’s best offensive players, and he never looked out of place.

Daniels’ past few years had him guarding players in the NBL1 competition — Australia’s second tier league — and then in the NBA G-League. Now, he’s going face to face with names like Young, DeRozan, and Zach LaVine.

“If some people get to their spot, it’s basically 100 percent going in,” Daniels said. “It’s good to play against those guys… because everyone in the NBA these days has someone on the team that’s crazy on the offensive end.”

Daniels was the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and will enter the 2022-23 regular season as one of the youngest players in the league. Still, there’s a good chance the Bendigo-native could be a consistent rotation player for a Pelicans team likely to make a deep playoff run.

Head coach Willie Green showed confidence in his new 6’8 guard over the preseason, with Daniels playing 18.5 minutes per game, averaging 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block a contest and seemingly getting better with every showing.

“I talk to Willie every day, and it’s something different every day,” Daniels said.

“He’s gonna play guys who are gonna bring it every night; energy, defence. Obviously we have some stars on this team that are gonna help carry the offensive load, (so) he wants guys that are gonna come in and compete, rebound the ball, defend, so I think that’s one of the guys I can be, just go out there and give 100% effort every night.

“Like I said, I pride myself on the defensive end so picking up that challenge of guarding the best player and locking them up.”

Daniels may be entering his first season in the league, but he’s not a stranger to the NBA and its players. He’s a graduate of Canberra’s NBA Academy, where he played alongside fellow Australian, Josh Giddey, and the pair worked out over the off-season in Los Angeles with the likes of Tobias Harris, Jalen Suggs, and Matisse Thybulle, among many others.

There’s also the presence of Herb Jones in New Orleans, a defence-first wing coming off an impressive rookie season, and the type of player Daniels is intent on learning from.

“With Giddey, obviously the way he went last year on OKC, just knowing I’ve been playing with this guy for years and knowing how well he’s developed over the years just gives me confidence, feeling like I can do the same thing as well,” Daniels said.

“Herb Jones was a second-round pick and he earned his spot in the starting lineup; he’s the best defender on our team. He takes pride in it, and he hustles, he works hard, and he’s in the gym all the time working on his shot, getting better.

“So, it’s just good to be around him and learn off him because we’re similar players, me and Herb, and I think we can work well together. It’s good to be around him because he’s earned everything he’s gotten. He was a mid-second round pick, so to see him in the starting lineup and doing his thing out there, I think he’s predicted to be one of the top defenders in the league this year, (so) it’s special. To see him and compete against him every day is gonna make me better.”

For Daniels, the season is primarily about two things.

The first: finding ways to make an impact on a Pelicans team looking to make a deep postseason run.

The other: his own growth and development.

The second part of that equation is made easier because of the personnel on the Pelicans’ roster; one that features everything from veterans to budding young stars.

“CJ (McCollum) plays a similar position to me, so he’s one (I gravitate towards), for sure,” Daniels said, on which of his teammates have taken him under their wing.

“Garret Temple, who’s been in the league a long time as well. Everyone on our team are really good leaders. We’ve got guys that have been in the league five or six years, and then guys that are 10-plus, so learning off them every day, the way they talk in practice, how they get to their spots, talking to them, ‘what do you see here, where do I need to be?’. Everyone on this team is so good to learn off, and they’re all really willing to help, so it’s gonna help me develop quicker.”

Daniels is in a fortunate position. The Pelicans team he’s landed on is one that’s still growing into a potential contender so there are spots up for grabs, and his head coach has demonstrated that he’ll play young players without hesitation.

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There’ll be a fight to earn minutes — Daniels is competing with the likes of Jose Alvarado, Devonte’ Graham, and Trey Murphy III off the Pelicans bench — but his ability to defend multiple positions, as well as a growing offensive arsenal that includes creation skills as a ball carrier, should afford him more opportunities to see the floor.

Daniels may well be the team’s baby-faced rookie, but he’s already shown that being thrown into the deep end is a challenge he’s willing to take by the horns.

“It’s where I wanna be, for sure,” Daniels said.

“We have a great coaching staff, great players. We compete. We’ve got a very deep roster so trainings are very competitive, everyone’s trying to earn their minutes because you go out there in game time and some nights you’re going to play, some nights you’re not.

“I bring it every day and compete, I trash talk, all that stuff, just to show that I belong on the floor (and) in this rotation. You’ve got to go out there every practice, every opportunity you get, you’ve got to give 100%, because nothing comes easy in this league and you really do have to earn your spot in the rotation.”

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Thrown into the deep end in preseason, Aussie Dyson Daniels is ready for the NBA challenge

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