Dyson Daniels the path to the NBA Draft has not been traditional.
Most college-age students train to go pro, but Daniels trained for the next level as part of the G-League Ignite. Daniels, a 6-foot-6 combo guard from Australia, came through the NBA Global Academy and now plays for the Ignite despite various college offers.
Daniels made waves by participating in the Ignite, earning himself a spot in the NBA Rising Stars game during All Star Weekend. Daniels played in 15 games, averaging 32 minutes and scoring 11.9 points per game.
Daniels is not an elite scorer, but can get points when needed. He shot 50% from the field and 30% from 3 points.
“This year with G League Ignite was a success for me in what I was trying to get out of it,” Daniels told ESPN. “I was able to learn a lot about myself and my place on the pitch.”
Daniels is a late or mid-to-late first-round lottery pick among most fictional drafts, but with the Thunder holding two lottery picks, one of which is projected at No. 14, Daniels could be in the cards. for Sam Presti and OKC.
Scroll to continue
“I never thought that a kid from a regional town called Bendigo would one day have the chance to play the game I love alongside the most talented basketball players in the world,” daniels said in his draft statement on Twitter.
Daniels also controls Glass as a guardian. In his time with the Ignite, he averaged 7.4 rebounds per game and matched those with more than five assists per game. Daniels can play as a true enabler of the Thunder attack, especially off the bench as a change of pace keeper.
His skill set is similar to Thunder’s 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey, and that pick has largely paid off for the Thunder this season.
With a deep draft looking at the Thunder and the rest of the NBA, Daniels is ready to be on many big team rosters.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and Follow us on twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the cover.
