‘No notes’: Dyson Daniels’ nickname takes over NBA after clutch scenes

Aussie youngster Dyson Daniels is taking over the NBA after he was bestowed arguably the greatest nickname ever.

The legend of Aussie Dyson Daniels continues to rise after the Aussie point guard pulled off a clutch block to help his Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The 201cm 21-year-old from Bendigo has had a break out season after being a near unknown trade piece from the New Orleans Pelicans in the off-season.

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Traded alongside Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and E.J. Liddell as well as a 2025 first round pick and a 2027 first rounder for star guard Dejounte Murray, Daniels wasn’t even mentioned in the initial breaking reports.

But the eighth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft has been a revelation in Atlanta.

With career averages of 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists, as well as 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks, through 13 games, Daniels is averaging 14.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

He’s already tallied the four best point scoring games of his short career, including his 28 point haul against Boston last week.

But the most impressive stat is the steals.

At 3.7 per game, he’s easily the best in the NBA so far this season — Washington’s Jordan Poole is second, averaging 2.1 a match.

His average was definitely helped by becoming the first player since Alvin Robertson in 1986 to record six steals in four straight matches — a streak that ended in Atlanta’s loss to Portland earlier in the week.

It’s earned him the incredible nickname “Great Barrier Thief”, but his exploits against Sacramento might have spawned yet another moniker.

Finishing without a steal against the Kings, it was four blocks, including the game-winning move on De’Aaron Fox, that has Daniels being labelled “Block-adile Dundee” on social media.

That’s not a block, this is a block. Photo: X

Dyson Daniels' teammates caught the Great Barrier Thief. Photo: X

While plenty of fans claimed that Daniels had fouled Fox, the referees saw it differently.

And others claimed Daniels had stepped on the line as he gathered the ball, despite the replay appearing to show the young Aussie kept his heel in the air as he wasted the final moments of the clock and held on for the win.

Daniels teammates got around the Aussie as well, celebrating by clutching his hands behind his back in a mock perp walk over his sticky fingers on the court.

Rob Perez, also known as World Wide Wob on X, tweeted: “walking the Great Barrier Thief off the floor in cuffs is a 10/10 cele. No notes.”

It has fans already putting the young Aussie’s name up for the defensive player of the year — and if he can continue these numbers all season, he’d be a tremendous chance.

An Australian has never won the defensive player of the year in the NBA, while Ben Simmons is the only Aussie to have previously made the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team, a feat he achieved twice in 2020 and 2021.

Daniels is at home in Atlanta. Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP

Dyson Daniels is on fire. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

But the NBA world was again wowed by the Aussie’s clutch move.

Sacramento Observer NBA reporter Mark Haynes tweeted: “Dyson Daniels made a heck of a play on De’Aaron Fox to steal a win from the Kings.”

Another fan posted: “Dyson Daniel’s just couldn’t have a game without a steal. What a strip!”

The official NBA account even called it “clutch defence”.

Another fan wrote: “Daniels showing he’s got ice in his veins!”

Another added: “Dyson Daniels is the most obvious All Defensive 1st team this season with AD. Also top 3 in the DPOY race easily.”

A fourth wrote: “Dyson Daniels, the Great Barrier Thief strikes again. Clutch. What a play.”

The Great Barrier Thief nickname appears to have come from teammate Larry Nance Jr. who took over a recent media opportunity, asking: “You’ve been garnering a lot of plaudits due to your killer defensive games this year. People have been calling you the ‘Great Barrier Thief.’ I was just wondering if you had any previous nicknames or if you like that one?”

Pressed further later, Daniels said: “For me, you know, it’s ‘See ball, get ball.’ I chased balls around for my whole junior career and that’s what I did: play defence.

“So for me, it starts with team defence, keeping our man in front, making them take tough contested shots – and when they turn their back, that’s when I like to go for steals and stuff like that.”

Originally published as ‘No notes’: Dyson Daniels’ nickname takes over NBA after clutch scenes