The Post’s Jared Schwartz breaks down the top Knicks-Hawks storylines for the first round of the playoffs:
Jalen Brunson dealing with Dyson Daniels
Daniels has emerged as an elite wing defender for the Hawks. At 6-foot-7 and with long arms, this type of bigger, quicker and more athletic defender is the one blueprint that has proved it can at times somewhat throw Brunson off his rhythm.
And, according to the NBA’s official tracking stats, Daniels is the opponent who has spent the most time defending Brunson in the entire league. Across 119.5 partial possessions (the sum of the portions of each possession a defender guards an offensive player, factoring in switches and help defense) over the three regular-season matchups, Brunson shot 15-for-31 from the field — though just 1-for-7 from 3-point range — along with 10 assists and two turnovers. He also drew three shooting fouls. Daniels has been vocal about relishing the matchup and claiming he knows what Brunson wants to do.
Daniels has the potential to limit Brunson’s dominance, but Brunson usually figures out countermoves. Given how important Brunson is to the Knicks, this matchup will likely be at the center of the series outcome.
