The Atlanta Hawks have boots on the ground for the 2025 NBA Finals, and we got a preview ahead of what could prove to be a crucial Game 3.
Hawks rising star Dyson Daniels is working for the league as a player correspondent during these Finals, between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, and with Game 3 as his lot in the series.
Daniels asked Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton about mental preparation on the eve of the game.
He also spoke with one-time Hawks trade target Pascal Siakam, Pacers teammate Bennedict Mathurin, and the Thunder’s Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Jalen Williams.
The Hawks star’s topics ranged from mental preparedness to helping inspire teammates to best fashion sense, underscoring that Daniels is making full use of the NBA’s initiative to put players in broadcast roles.
Player Correspondent Dyson Daniels asks Haliburton about his mental routine/prep for the Finals:
"I'm not superstitious or anything but you try to treat every game the same way..." pic.twitter.com/P5mN2zPOFL
— NBA (@NBA) June 10, 2025
“We … want them to understand the business of the NBA, and specifically the NBA Entertainment side,” The NBA’s senior vice president of entertainment and player marketing, Michael LeVine said, laying out the program’s goals, per NBA.com’s Maurice Brooks on June 4. “Relationship building. So getting to know the people, the league office, our broadcast partners, our global partners, will help all of us build this game.
“Lastly, seeing the NBA Finals, this is where they hope to be.”
Daniels is coming off a strong season, leading the league in steals, among other career-best stats, earning All-Defensive First Team honors, and winning Most Improved Player.
Hawks must take key next step
The next step for Daniels and the Hawks is making the playoffs so they can even have an opportunity to reach the Finals, as LeVine noted, where every player aspires to be. They are coming off four straight Play-In Tournament appearances.
Avoiding a fifth consecutive trip would make for a promising first step.
The Hawks were 21-20 in clutch games – defined as within five points in the final five minutes of a game – in 2024-25.
Expecting a major improvement there would be foolhardy. However, they were 21-26 in clutch games in 2023-24, suggesting they are trending in the right direction. Daniels was a key part of that.
That is important as he becomes extension-eligible this offseason.
Daniels will be a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season. The Hawks will have the right of first refusal on any deal he may sign with a suitor.
However, addressing Daniels early could keep his cost down, especially if he improves again as he did this past season. Daniels was a top-10 pick, so his development with increased opportunity is not entirely surprising.
It is encouraging for the Hawks, though, that he has embraced so many new challenges.