Dyson Daniels is a 6’7 guard who has flown under the NBA’s radars due to the Pelicans’ abundance of young talent. He was traded to the Hawks this summer as part of the Dejounte Murray deal, and the move to Atlanta should give Daniels a larger opportunity to shine.
Daniels uses his length and athleticism on defense, to bother opposing players. While he is a great defender, he has been an inconsistent offensive player and a below-average shooter. He’s never averaged more than 6 points per game, and in his first two seasons, he only shot 31% from three. Part of his struggles from deep had to do with the Pelicans’ lack of spacing, and with the Hawks, that won’t be an issue.
The expected starting backcourt of Daniels and Trae Young is a great pairing. Trae is an elite offensive player, but he has limits on defense. On the other hand, Daniels does not need the ball on offense and can guard the other team’s best perimeter scorer every night. The two players perfectly complement each other.
The former 7th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft finally has a real shot to play meaningful minutes. The Hawks roster is in a weird spot, but Daniels has untapped potential, and if he develops, he could be a key piece for the franchise. Be on the lookout for a Dyson Daniels breakout.
Tre Mann is a bucket-getter, with one of the best stepbacks in the league, but he struggled to find minutes on a loaded Thunder roster last year. He ended up in Charlotte as part of a deal that landed Gordan Hayward in OKC. After arriving in Charlotte, he became the team’s starting point guard, and he averaged 12 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5 assists a night. Mann showcased his isolation scoring, along with his playmaking.
LaMelo Ball is healthy this year which means he will be the team’s starting point guard again. Mann will revert to the bench, but he is poised to be the team’s 6th man. In that role, he can be aggressive in looking for his shot, while also running the offense. He has shown in the past he can get hot, and fill up the box score, as he has a career-high of 35 points and a career-high of 12 assists.
The Hornets should be a fun team to watch this year and Mann will be a reason why. He is crafty and explosive, and an underrated 6th man of the year candidate this season.
6’10 power forwards that shoot 40% from three, and have the skill set of a guard, are hard to find, even in the NBA. The Heat have one of those players in Jovic.
Heat fans have been begging for Niko to get an opportunity since they drafted him 27th overall in 2022. After injuries, he finally got his shot last season as the team’s starting power forward, and once he got the job, he never gave it back. Last year as a starter, he averaged 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists a night while shooting 40% from three. The numbers are not eye-popping, but he averaged just 22 minutes a night, and was going from an end of the bench player to a full-time starter.
This season, Jovic is expected to take a big leap for the Heat and become the team’s power forward for years to come. Everyone understandably talks about Jaime Jaquez and Kel’el Ware when discussing the Heat’s young core, but Jovic has a ton of upside, and is the only one expected to start this season. Along with his potential, Niko has a well-rounded offensive game. He can shoot, pass, and go coast-to-coast on the fastbreak. There isn’t much he can’t do on that end of the floor. Between his emerging offensive game, and his improvements on defense, Jovic could be in for a strong season, and he could be a dark horse to win Most Improved Player.
Severe injuries have hampered Jonathan Isaac’s career, but after a long absence, he went right back to being an elite defender last season. His calling card as a prospect was his defensive upside, due to his length and athleticism, but he is even better than people could have imagined.
Isaac is a top-five defensive player in this league when healthy, and it really can’t be argued. There is no such thing as an easy shot with him as the primary defender, regardless of his opponent. When people talk about the Magic they talk about Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. While those are their two best players, Isaac is the best defender on the team. He takes an already great defensive team to a whole new level when he is on the court.
Isaac’s limited offensive game is his biggest downside. With all the injuries, he has not been able to develop a consistent offensive game, which makes it hard to play him thirty-plus minutes a night. If he can develop a consistent shot from beyond the arc, it will be hard to take him off the court. The Magic are a tough, gritty, defensive-minded team, and Isaac is a perfect fit. Now that he is entering the season fully healthy for the first time since 2019-2020, Isaac can hit the ground running, and truly impact the Magic. Orlando should be a top-five defensive team this season and Isaac is a big reason why.
Not many people are watching the Wizards as they are not a great team, but they do have some nice young pieces, and Corey Kispert is one of them.
Kispert is a 25-year-old sharpshooter who is coming off the best season of his career. He averaged 13.4 points a game last season and shot 38% from three in 26 minutes per game. While those are solid numbers, his numbers as a starter were even better. Kispert averaged 16.6 points a game as a starter and shot over 41% from three. Those are encouraging numbers, as they show Kispert is more than a shooter. His specialty is knocking down the three ball, but he has improved as a driver and finisher. He is sneaky athletic, and that helps him create shots for himself.
Kispert is entering the last year of his deal, which means the Wizards need to make a decision about whether or not he is a part of their future. Due to his age and shooting, he would be a valuable asset for any team. This means the Wizards would likely get a solid return if they decided to trade him instead of extending him. Regardless of whether or not Kispert is a part of the Wizards’ future, he is a good player in this NBA and one who can help any team.
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