Big guard Dyson Daniels one of three Knicks might get at No. 11
Team Barry's Dyson Daniels, of the G League Ignite, plays against Team Payton during a semifinal of the NBA's Rising Stars event Feb. 18 in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Ron Schwane
GREENBURGH — If he’s still there when they pick at No. 11, Dyson Daniels checks a lot of boxes for the Knicks.
More than anything, the Knicks need a point guard in order to move on from last year’s Derrick Rose-Kemba Walker debacle.
Daniels, a 6-7 Australian who played in the G League last year, spent his entire career at point and then had a late growth spurt. That extra height has given him a unique versatility defensively, which makes him an ideal fit with coach Tom Thibodeau’s style of play.
“I think defense is about heart and hustle,” Daniels said Monday after completing a predraft workout at the Knicks practice facility. “I’ve got the tools. I’ve got the height. I’ve got the length. I can fight over screens. There’s a few techniques I use here or there. But it’s something I pride myself on.”
Daniels was one of three elite players who could still be there at No. 11 who worked out for the Knicks on Monday. Also on the floor were Kentucky’s Ty Ty Washington and Ohio State’s Malaki Branham.
Washington, a 6-2 point guard, has some close ties to the Knicks as he played for John Calipari at Kentucky. Knicks president Leon Rose is Calipari’s former agent and the two remain close. In 2020-21, the Knicks had four Kentucky players on their roster and former Wildcats assistant Kenny Payne. But Kevin Knox was traded and Payne moved on to be the head coach at Louisville. They still have Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel and Immanuel Quickley.
“When Kenny Payne was there, me and my teammates in the locker room was like, that’s Kentucky 2.0 up there,” Washington said of the Knicks.
Branham, a 6-5 swingman, was an efficient college scorer. Branham shot nearly 50% from the field in just 10 attempts per game and made 41.6% of his three pointers.
“I feel I’m one of the best shooters in the draft,” Branham said. “I feel like shot making and facilitating for others are my best skills.”
Of all the top players in the draft, Daniels’ journey has been the most unconventional.
Daniels is attempting to become the second player to be drafted in the lottery after graduating from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, following in the footsteps of Josh Giddey, whom OKC took with the No. 6 pick in 2021.
Though Daniels had several college offers, he chose to play for Ignite in the G League because he thought there would be better competition. He ended up having an impressive season in the G League, averaging 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 32 minutes in 26 games. He also played against some of the league’s best players in the Rising Stars contest at the NBA All-Star weekend.
Originally, it seemed like a sure bet that he would be there when the Knicks pick at 11. However, since the draft combine in Chicago, his stock has been rising and he has been projected to go as high as No. 8.
“I just go out there and play my game really," Daniels said. "I don’t pay too much attention to the stocks rising, falling. At the end of the day it’s the team who chooses you, not the media. So I just go out there and play my game. If I’m going to rise, I’m going to rise. If I’m going to fall, I’m going to fall. But I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
