Patience is a virtue and opportunity is key in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for November.

He averaged 3.0 steals, 6.7 deflections and 2.8 forced turnovers per game for the month. Daniels also averaged 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists during that stretch. He is on pace to set new career highs with 13.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.1 SPG, 3.0 APG and 1.0 BPG.

Defense was never an issue for Daniels.

Daniels has long been considered one of the best young fullbacks in the league. This season, however, he has taken that to a new level.

He entered the season with the goal of contending for First Team All-Defense and had already made a strong case. And while his offensive efficiency hasn’t exactly improved – he’s shooting a career-worst 28.9% from 3P – Daniels has always found a way to impact the game.

The decisive factor will be how he ends the season.

Daniels was the No. 8 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hawks acquired him in the 2024 offseason by sending Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.

After logging more than 20 minutes in 23 games as a rookie and 37 games in his second season, Daniels has played no less than 23 minutes in the 2024-25 season.

He recorded double-digit shot attempts in all but two of those games.

Daniels played six games with double-digit attempts in 2023-24 and none in 2022-23 as a rookie with the Pelicans. If ever there was a case for a player, especially one who entered the league as boldly as he did as an international youth player, it is Daniels.

He showed his potential in a small role during his time with New Orleans, stepped up his game when called up for Australia during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and is now having a breakout season.

Prospects take time to develop and they have become younger in recent years.

That surge at the end coincides with some notable performances from recent older first-round picks. But teams still tend to turn to younger talent based on their potential, which is the most dangerous word in sports.

Too much patience due to a player’s potential can lead to stagnation for him and the team. A quick judgment could result in a player leaving the league or joining another team.

Daniels’ outburst comes at the right time.

He will be eligible for an extension next offseason, and the Hawks have shown a tendency to reward their young players (even if in many cases that has resulted in them trading them away). Jalen Johnson signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension just in time for the deadline before this season.

It’s unlikely Daniels will see such a payday. But he expects his current four-year, $25 million contract to provide a significant increase.