Jalen Johnson is happy to see teammate Dyson Daniels finally get the recognition his talent deserves.
The Atlanta Hawks have undoubtedly been the hottest team in the NBA over the last eight games, winning each one and looking more impressive with every successive outing. Not only have they beaten opponents by double-digit margins in nine of those games, but they have also topped 115 points in the same number of contests during that span.
It is the kind of sustained dominance that has shifted the conversation around this franchise from "promising" to "legitimate contender."
While much of the attention has fallen on Jonathan Kuminga, Onyeka Okungwu, and Corey Kispert, team leader Jalen Johnson used the moment to acknowledge someone he believes has been the unsung hero of the streak — Dyson Daniels.
With Trae Young gone, Daniels has had the ball in his hands more than ever. Rather than folding under that pressure, the 23-year-old has embraced it. He became the first player in NBA history to record at least 80 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists while committing five or fewer turnovers during a seven-game stretch, a feat that underscores just how complete his game has become.
For a player who entered the season with questions about his offensive ceiling, those numbers have been a definitive answer.
Johnson appreciates Daniels for contributing through every facet of the game, the kinds of plays that don't always show up on the box score but make life easier for everyone else on the floor. Screens that free up cutters. Passes that keep the defense scrambling. Defensive rotations that prevent easy baskets on the other end. For Johnson, it was important that Daniels finally receive the recognition his talent deserves.
"Dyson has been huge for us," Johnson said. "Just not over this winning streak, but the whole year. Dyson brings pretty much every aspect to the game, and he's somebody who's just always willing to get better and always willing to learn. It's just a testament to his work, and obviously, we need him to keep being big for us."
What makes Daniels so valuable is the breadth of what he brings. On any given night, he can shoulder a scoring load, reaching the 20-to-25 point range when Atlanta needs an offensive lift.
On the next possession, he can lock down the opposing team's most dangerous perimeter scorer. That combination of offensive and defensive versatility is rare, and it is exactly the kind of profile that wins playoff games.
The Eastern Conference standings are tight enough that every game carries weight, and the Hawks have responded to that pressure by playing their best basketball of the season.
Much of that starts with Daniels setting the tone on both ends. His ability to guard multiple positions, push in transition, and make decisions with the ball has given Atlanta a flexibility that few teams in the conference can match.
The Hawks have quietly built something real. If Atlanta intends to make noise in the postseason against more star-studded opponents, Daniels' two-way tenacity may be the factor that separates them from the field. Johnson clearly knows it. The rest of the league is starting to figure it out.