Hawks’ Dyson Daniels reveals the ‘hard to guard’ reality of defending Jalen Brunson appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Hawks have been up to the challenge of stopping the New York Knicks in their tracks, and it’s gotten them a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 pending. It’s safe to say the Hawks haven’t played their best basketball yet, but so far, they’re doing what they need to win in the margins.
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The defense has been key, specifically on Jalen Brunson, who is the engine of the Knicks. Dyson Daniels has taken the role of primarily guarding him in the series, and he knows how gifted the guard is as a scorer.
“He doesn’t really have a weakness,” Daniels said to reporters. “You want to force him right, but he’s got a good pull-up going right. It’s about getting the early contact, trying to get him outside the 3-point line because he has a really good bump in the mid-range and a really good shot fake. You have to be disciplined and stay down, keep your hands out. He’s really good at drawing fouls.
“For us, I think it’s about early pick up points, making him work, trying to tire him out a little bit. Once he gets in the paint, he’s really hard to guard. So it’s about trying to keep him out of there.”
Daniels has done a good job on Brunson, and he hasn’t had much breathing room when they’re matched up. That could frustrate any offensive player, and it may be getting to Brunson.
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“Just trying to throw him off his game a little bit. When guys get comfortable, that’s when they get into rhythm,” Daniels said. “We’ve been throwing different looks at him, just trying to switch things up so he’s not seeing the same thing over and over again. If I were getting defended and pushed and picked up, it’ll probably be frustrating too.”
The Hawks know that if they cut off Brunson’s water, other players on the Knicks will have to step up. That hasn’t been the case for them so far, as players such as Mikal Bridges are still trying to find a rhythm. Karl-Anthony Towns is the clear No. 2 for the Knicks, but he’s hardly been involved in the offense when the Hawks put a wing on him.
It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Knicks make, and the Hawks will need to be prepared.
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