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Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, a two-time NBA All-Defensive selection and the league's steals leader in 2025, offered a striking tribute to Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic after attempting to slow him down on Monday night. "He's probably the hardest guy to guard in the NBA right now," Daniels told reporters following Atlanta's 124-114 loss to Los Angeles.
The concession resonated deeply given Daniels' reputation as one of the league's elite perimeter defenders. The Australian guard spent much of the game matched up against Doncic, who delivered 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals as the Lakers secured their sixth consecutive win.
What stood out to Daniels was not merely Doncic's scoring but his ability to make Atlanta pay for sending extra defenders his way. Daniels explained that the Hawks faced a difficult dilemma whenever Doncic had the ball: defend him one-on-one and risk him creating his own shot, or bring help and leave someone else open. Neither strategy worked with any consistency.
"And then he's also a willing passer," Daniels said. "Sandro made some big shots, Sexton made big shots, Ziaire Williams made big shots." Daniels credited the Lakers for capitalizing on Atlanta's defensive pressure while acknowledging his team's errors. "They did a good job of executing out of our blitzes," he said. "But yeah, I think we hurt ourselves a little bit too tonight."
Key Analysis
Daniels' assessment highlights the unique challenge Doncic presents even to the league's premier defenders. Daniels earned All-Defensive first-team honors in 2025 after leading the NBA with 229 steals and followed that with a second-team selection in 2026. He recorded four steals on Monday, yet even his defensive activity could not prevent Doncic from controlling key stretches of the game.
Doncic's performance came one night after he sat out Sunday's win over Detroit due to lower-back tightness. The Lakers also played without Austin Reaves, who was sidelined by illness after scoring 43 points against the Pistons. Instead, Doncic leaned on his supporting cast: Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 23 points with five 3-pointers, Walker Kessler added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Collin Sexton contributed 18 points and six assists.
Los Angeles built a 20-point first-half lead before Atlanta rallied to within four points with 3:30 remaining. Doncic responded with a driving layup and later found Jake LaRavia for an easy basket. The Lakers improved to 10-2, maintaining their strong start under coach JJ Redick. Atlanta coach Quin Snyder echoed Daniels' view, noting that defending Doncic often requires committing two players to the ball, which creates openings elsewhere and forces difficult rotations. For Daniels, the lesson was familiar but no less frustrating: he entered Monday with credentials few defenders can match and left acknowledging that Doncic might be the toughest assignment in basketball.
Originally reported by yahoo.