Dyson Daniels Named to Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team Following Historic Defensive Season

ATLANTA — May 22, 2025 — Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been named to the 2024-25 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced today. The honor places Daniels among elite company, as he becomes just the fifth player in franchise history to earn First Team recognition. He joins Hawks legends Dikembe Mutombo, Mookie Blaylock, Tree Rollins, and Dan Roundfield on the exclusive list.

Daniels, 22, delivered one of the most dominant defensive campaigns the NBA has seen in decades. He averaged a league-best 3.01 steals per game — the first player to eclipse the 3.0 mark since Alvin Robertson in the 1990-91 season. His 229 total steals set a new franchise record and were the most by any NBA player since Hall of Famer Gary Payton recorded 231 in the 1995-96 season. Daniels led the league in steals by an unprecedented margin of 98, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing a distant second at 131 — the largest gap between first and second in league history.

The third-year guard’s impact went well beyond just steals. He finished the season with a steal-to-foul ratio of 1.31, the ninth-best since 1973-74 and the most efficient mark in over two decades, surpassing Allen Iverson’s 1.51 in 2002-03.

Daniels’ relentless perimeter defense helped catalyze a major turnaround for the Hawks on that end of the floor. Atlanta’s defensive rating improved from 118.4 (27th in the NBA in 2023-24) to 114.8, good for 18th in the league — a 3.6-point improvement that ranked sixth among all teams. The Hawks led the NBA with 48 games of 10 or more steals, the second-highest total in franchise history behind only the 1993-94 squad (56).

At just 22 years and six days old, Daniels became the youngest player since at least 1973-74 to record 200+ steals in a single season, surpassing Magic Johnson’s previous mark. He also added 55 blocks to his stat line, leading the NBA with a combined 284 “stocks” (steals + blocks). Daniels is the first guard to lead the NBA in total stocks since Michael Jordan in his 1988 Defensive Player of the Year season.

Daniels joined rare company as only the seventh player in NBA history to record 200+ steals and 50+ blocks in a season, a feat last accomplished by Scottie Pippen in 1994-95. The group also includes Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Alvin Robertson.

Known for his disruptive instincts, Daniels set a new NBA benchmark with 444 total deflections — the most since the league began tracking the stat in 2015-16. He also led the NBA with 297 total stops (steals + blocks + offensive fouls drawn) and ranked second with 81 loose balls recovered.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Daniels recorded a 3.7% steal percentage, ranking in the 100th percentile for combo guards. He also contributed on the glass, posting a 4.6% offensive rebound rate (92nd percentile) and a 12.5% defensive rebound rate (84th percentile) among combo guards.

The Bendigo, Australia, native put up staggering defensive consistency throughout the season, with 27 games of four or more steals — the most in a single season since Nate McMillan in 1993-94. He also tallied 14 games with five or more steals, a feat not matched since Chris Paul in 2010-11. Currently, Daniels is riding a 52-game streak with at least one steal, the second-longest in Hawks franchise history and the NBA’s longest since Victor Oladipo’s 64-game run in 2017-18.

In addition to his All-Defensive First Team selection, Daniels was also named the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player and finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He was one of only two players this season to be a finalist for multiple Kia Performance Awards, alongside MVP Nikola Jokic.

With a season that will be remembered for its defensive brilliance and historical benchmarks, Daniels has cemented his status as one of the NBA’s premier two-way threats — and a cornerstone of the Hawks’ future.

#TrueToAtlanta 🏀