This crazy story proves that Dyson Daniels is a genius

As we discussed in his deep dive last month, Dyson Daniels may currently be the best passer in the 2022 Draft Class. And as a general rule, great passers usually have high basketball IQs. You can also see this with his positional awareness on the defensive side of the ball, where he demonstrates an understanding of the court that is far beyond his years.

The New Orleans Pelicans rookie is a very smart basketball player. But the more you dig into it, the more you realize that calling him “smart” is merely only scratching the surface.

During the second quarter of the team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, play-by-play announcer Mark Jones shared a story one executive told him about Daniels during the pre-draft process.

"“One of the executives from the league told me that one of the coaches asked him in his interview process during pre-draft in Chicago to draw an end-of-game play, and he drew it up with so many specifics that the coaches were blown away by his basketball IQ,” Jones shared during the Kings game against the Pelicans."

Can you imagine that? Can you imagine being so impressive with your demonstrated knowledge of the game that you amaze NBA-level coaches with your understanding?

It is also important to note that Daniels isn’t some “older” rookie, either. He came into the league at the age of 19, and he’s currently only 20 days past his 20th birthday.

Simply put, Daniels is a baby by NBA standards. And the fact that his basketball IQ is already at this high of a level is promising for his long-term trajectory as a player. With his combination of mental and physical athleticism, the sky is truly the limit for the Pelicans’ rookie.