Trae Young believes Dyson Daniels is the front-runner to win the DPOY award this season after an astonishing statistical achievement.
Dyson Daniels has been having a brilliant season for the Atlanta Hawks. The young star has been a defensive stalwart for the squad.
Despite being in Atlanta for just two years now, he has really cemented himself as a key piece on the squad as the defensive anchor.
Joakim Noah recently compared Dyson Daniels to Tony Allen. And given how the star defender has performed this year, it’s hard to argue against those comparisons.
Daniels has gone under the radar this season because of the Atlanta Hawks’ mediocrity. But Trae Young believes he cannot be overlooked any longer.
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During the Atlanta Hawks’ win 132-119 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Dyson Daniels made history in the NBA. He became the first player since 1974 to gather 200+ steals in an NBA season.
Trae Young reacted to this statistic on X. The All-Star point guard backed his teammate to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, noting that it was no longer a debate.
DPOY. No more debate. https://t.co/4l13jxKU7O
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 24, 2025
Young clearly believes his teammate is deserving of the award. And why shouldn’t he? Daniels is having a statistically phenomenal season.
In fact, the Australian star is set to lead the NBA in blocks and steals combined this season, something that hasn’t been done since Michael Jordan’s 1987-88 DPOY season.
Read More: Dyson Daniels has just done in five games what no NBA player has managed all season in 2024-25
While Young might believe Dyson Daniels is the favorite to win the DPOY this season, not everyone feels the same away.
Former winner Giannis Antetokounmpo backed his teammate Brook Lopez to win the award. While OKC Thunder’s Lu Dort believes he should be in contention as well.
Daniels is having a strong year from a defensive standpoint, averaging 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
But the Hawks’ mediocre 35-36 record might be weighed against him, especially considering where the Thunder rank as one of the best teams and have a DPOY candidate.
