The Knicks are going to have their hands full on offense with Dyson Daniels on Wednesday night in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
The Australia native has arguably been the best perimeter defender in the NBA this season, putting up numbers solemnly seen in recent seasons.
Daniels leads the league with a whopping 3.2 steals per game, which would be the most per game since Alvin Robertson averaged 3.7 steals in the 1985-86 season nearly 40 years ago.
In the Knicks’ first matchup with the Hawks in November, Daniels spent the bulk of the game on Jalen Brunson, who struggled against the 6-foot-7, 200-pound wing, shooting just 3-of-8 from the field and 0-of-4 from 3.
Brunson had just one turnover during those minutes, but Daniels has proven to be a menace against smaller guards.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knicks | -8 (-112) | +280 | u237.5 (-110) |
| Hawks | +8 (-108) | -355 | u237.5 (-110) |
In less than nine minutes of action against Steph Curry, the Warriors guard had four turnovers.
Russell Westbrook had three turnovers in just seven-and-a-half minutes matched up against Daniels.
LaMelo Ball had as many turnovers (five) as minutes guarded by Daniels in their faceoff.
Daniels’ steals over/under for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup is at just 2.5, which is a tick below his average but also a number he’s consistently blown past in recent weeks.
Daniels has had three or more steals 13 times in 23 games, including four against the Knicks last month.
He’s been even more prolific since getting an uptick in minutes in early November – four of those games with two or fewer swipes came before Nov. 6.
Bet Daniels to be an annoyance for Knicks ballhandlers and passers alike Wednesday.
The play: Dyson Daniels Over 2.5 steals (-125, DraftKings Sportsbook)
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.