Dyson Daniels 'Ready to Do Whatever to Win'
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The buildup and hype surrounding the NBA Draft were at a feverish pace on Thursday. Teams were wheeling and dealing with making personnel moves to position themselves for the future. Many believed the Pelicans would stand pat at the 8th spot if the guy they coveted was available. Low and behold, Dyson Daniels was there for the taking. Daniels sat down after the selection to give his thoughts about the Pelicans and where he sees himself fitting in.
Here are a few highlights from that interview:
Daniels on how much he knows about the city of New Orleans and whether he spoke to CJ McCollum before the draft:
"To be honest I don't know too much about New Orleans, but I'm sure I'll find something to do. CJ's a really good guy. He talked to us at one of the meetings. He's a very good basketball brain. Smart guy and it will be good to learn off someone like him coming to the Pelicans."
On what he knows about the current roster and what opportunity he will have playing in New Orleans:
"Any NBA team you go to, you have to earn your spot no matter what. They have a great team here. They have scorers. They have Zion coming back. I feel like I can fit so many different roles. I can be a playmaker...there are so many different roles I can play on a team. My game is rapidly improving and I'm a winner. I going to do whatever it takes to help us win."
On how much he likes to trash talk while playing defense:
"I like to throw a few sneaky words in there. You might not hear them, but I do like to trash talk. Its apart of the game and its fun to get underneath someone's skin sometimes."
On his outlook towards playing in Summer League:
"I'm super ready and really looking forward to it. I can't wait to get out there and really start playing again. I've had a good 3 months of this draft process. I'm ready to get out there and go meet the team and cant wait to get on the floor."
Daniels describes his emotions on getting the call he would be drafted:
"As soon as my agent passed me the phone my heart started beating. Super happy to get that phone call and them telling me I'm going to be a Pelican. Once I heard my name called my heart dropped. It's a dream come true. I've dreamed about this for as long as I can remember. To finally be here has taken a lot of hard work, but I'm blessed to be in this position and have this opportunity."
On the G-League preparing him for the NBA:
"The G-League was huge for me. Learning to play the NBA style of play, especially coming from Australia to a lot faster pace. I had very good veteran players and a great coaching staff (in G-League) to learn from and as the season went on I just kept getting better and better....... The G-league was really helpful for me in getting me to where I am today."
Daniels on speaking with Coach Willie Green before the draft:
"I had a dinner with him when I went to the workout. It was good to meet him and pick his brain on a few questions. He's a great coach and I'm super excited to get to work with him."
Read More Pelicans News:
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- Pelicans Scoop: First-Round Predictions
- Pelicans Summer League Schedule Lines Up Lakers Tilt
- Pelicans vs. Atlanta in Birmingham This Preseason
- Pelicans Don’t Have To Rush Devonte Graham Decision
