One Statistic Shows Why New Orleans Pelicans Will Miss Dyson Daniels So Much

The New Orleans Pelicans are going to miss what Dyson Daniels brings to the court defensively.

Apr 24, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves around New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) during the second half of game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans made a splash this offseason when they acquired guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.

To land him, they sent Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, E.J. Liddell and two first-round picks to the Hawks. It is a deal that everyone felt improved the Pelicans.

Murray’s skill set should mesh well with the core pieces already in place. Last season, New Orleans had struggled at the end of games closing things out, lacking a traditional point guard to get them into sets.

That will no longer be an issue with Murray onboard.

Under head coach Willie Green, the Pelicans have also been an excellent defensive team. While Murray’s production on that side of the court slipped during his time in Atlanta, he showed earlier in his career with the San Antonio Spurs he is capable of making an impact on that end.

The ceiling of the team is certainly higher with the Washington product on board, but there will need to be adjustments made. Everyone has focused on how Green will navigate the logjam that now exists on the perimeter with Murray included in the rotation.

But, not enough attention has been given to what the team lost in Daniels.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft wasn’t going to be afforded the chance to develop entirely with the Pelicans. But, he was already making a major impact on the court despite his box score numbers seeming to be underwhelming.

Career averages of 4.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 20 minutes per game aren’t jumping off the page. But, he was someone that Green had the utmost of trust in on the defensive end of the court.

This is a roster full of talented defensive players. But, it was Daniels who was regularly given the toughest assignments on the perimeter.

According to BBall Index on X, Daniels was No. 9 among the top 10 guards in matchup difficulty with a 1000-minute minimum. The players on that list are tasked with guarding the best offensive players on the opposing team.

The top 10 guards in Matchup Difficulty

1. Alex Caruso
2. Vince Williams Jr.
3. Andrew Nembhard
4. Malik Beasley
5. Jalen Suggs
6. KCP
7. Jrue Holiday
8. Kris Dunn
9. Dyson Daniels
10. Terance Mann

-1000 minute min
-These players guard the best offensive players

— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) September 12, 2024

It will be interesting to see who fills that void in the New Orleans lineup this season. Murray will certainly receive his fair share of difficult matchups and we could see Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy log minutes at shooting guard with the small forward logjam.

Whatever Green decides, it will have a major impact on the team’s defensive performance. 6’8” point guards with a 6’10.5” wingspan don’t grow on trees.

Daniels was someone that the coaching staff had confidence in matching up against the opponent’s best offense weapons and someone will have to emerge as the go-to player to fill that role.