Dyson Daniels trade regrets for Pelicans are way overstated

The New Orleans Pelicans have had a season from hell so far. Currently sitting at 3-9 in the 14th seed in the Western Conference after a six-game losing streak, there's not much optimism to be found within the organization. It's not just the record either. These Pelicans have suffered some extremely hard-to-swallow losses, both on the court and on the injury report.

Practically the entire team's core has spent time in the infirmary, with many of them still out for the foreseeable future, including Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, and CJ McCollum. Trey Murphy III recently came back from the hamstring strain he went down with in training camp and Jordan Hawkins should be back soon, but the Pels will still have the majority of their central players on the sidelines.

With New Orleans's horrendous start to the campaign, there's been a lot of doubt cast around the team. Doubts about the roster, Head Coach Willie Green, and some of the moves they've made, including the Dejounte Murray trade, even though DJM has only played one game — which was one of their only three victories for that matter. Fans and pundits have surmised that the Pelicans may be regretting that deal, not necessarily because of Murray or his performance, but rather because of Dyson Daniels's recent play with the Atlanta Hawks.

Pelicans fans are viewing Dyson Daniels with nostalgia goggles

Dyson Daniels has played well for the Atlanta Hawks. So far, he's looked like a great backcourt partner for Trae Young, capable of taking on their opponent's most prolific guard scorer to cover for Trae while singlehandedly elevating Atlanta's ability to generate turnovers.

Daniels is currently leading the league in steals per game at a ludicrous 3.6, which in turn has the Hawks markedly better on defense with him on the floor. Dyson saves nearly four points per 100 possessions for Atlanta when he's on the court.

He hasn't only shined on defense either. Through 10 games, he's nearly tripled his points per game from last season to 14.3 while averaging career-highs in assists (2.9), rebounds (4.3), and minutes (33.1). His ascension has Pelicans fans surmising that their team made a mistake by trading him away for Dejounte Murray, particularly with New Orleans looking like a team that should be building toward the future instead of trying to win now.

While Daniels is playing well with his new team, his rise has been quite overstated. His defensive numbers and impact are undeniable, but it's not like he's transformed the Hawks into a good team on that end of the court overnight. They're still allowing a 116.8 defensive rating with him on, a mark that would rank 25th in the NBA.

He is notching career highs in nearly every category but that's more a product of increased usage than a sudden spike in production. His scoring rate has climbed as he's built confidence as an attacker, but his rebounds and assists per 36 minutes has actually dropped compared to last year.

He's also still a wildly inefficient player on offense. This season, he's shooting a career-best 47 percent from the field but is also hitting a career-low 22 percent from deep. He might be dishing 3.2 assists a night but he's also racking up 1.8 turnovers.

The truth remains the same as before the Pelicans traded Dyson Daniels away. The team simply doesn't have the personnel or playing time necessary for him to thrive and grow. While his defensive talents are missed, Dejounte Murray is undoubtedly a better fit for this roster. Hopefully, Murray can shut down any lingering regrets once he's back on the court.