The Whiteboard: 5 NBA defenders who deserve your attention

We’re less than a month into the new NBA season, much too early to talk about awards. That’s why the following list is not an All-Defensive team ballot or prediction. These are five newish-named defenders who have piqued my attention — and deserve yours.

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

If Dyson Daniels isn’t careful, he will be charged with minor theft. Daniels leads the league with 7.6 deflections per game, nearly three more than the next-closest qualified candidate (oh, hey, Nikola Jokic!). You know how suffocating Alex Caruso and Lu Dort are defensively? Take both of their deflection averages, stack them on top of each other, and you get one Dyson Daniels.

He has tremendous timing and instincts. That old rule of passing the ball over a defender’s head doesn’t work against him. If getting your hand in a passing lane was an arcade game, Daniels would have the high score. 

But what makes Daniels so valuable is his ability to turn an opponent’s pet pick-and-roll action into a turnover. Just when a ball-handler goes over the screen and thinks he’s in the clear, Daniels materializes behind him like an apparition and pokes the ball free. We should call this the Dyson Dash.

Daniels is the early favorite to finish the season as the league leader in steals. He is averaging 3.6 steals per game after recording at least six steals in his last three games, including in Atlanta’s surprising win over the Celtics on Tuesday night. The league leader tends to average between 2.0-2.4. Daniel’s 3.6 swipes per game probably won’t hold, but he’s built a cushion.

Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns

That Ryan Dunn is a good defender shouldn’t be surprising. That was his thing as he entered June’s NBA draft. What should be surprising is that (a) he’s making enough 3s to stay on the court, and (b) he’s already this freaking good.

At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Dunn is already Phoenix’s most versatile defender, having spent time guarding guards, forwards and centers. Some of his toughest assignments include LeBron James, Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan. Despite the short straw, he ranks among the best isolation defenders in the league, according to Bball Index. Players defended by Dunn are shooting 8.2 percentage points less than their average.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

Rockets coach Ime Udoka can’t keep Tari Eason off the court. After missing most of last season with a left leg injury, Eason could have easily found himself on the outside looking in on a deep Rockets depth chart.

Instead, he’s reclaimed his status as one of Houston’s most exciting young players, averaging a career-high in points (11.6) and shooting percentage (54.6%). But we’re here to talk about defense. Eason is second behind only Jalen Green in Houston’s fourth-quarter minutes over the last three games because of his defense. He held Jalen Williams scoreless in Friday’s loss against the Thunder. He wreaked havoc on the poor Wizards on Monday, recording three steals and two blocks. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Eason eats up space and uses his long arms to poke the ball away. It’s like running into a wall with tentacles (or something).

Eason is averaging 1.9 steals in 22.6 minutes per game. He’s one of five players (in at least 10 games) to average at least 1.5 steals and 1 block per game, along with Jalen Suggs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo and Jokic, and he’s doing it in a fraction of the playing time.

Eason is a smart and instinctual defender. He’s got the stuff that can’t be taught. Eason and Amen Thompson are quickly forming one of the better perimeter defensive duos in the league and are the backbone of Houston’s third-ranked defense.

Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder

If I were on Hinge for NBA defenders, my type would definitely be guys like Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace. Shorter, long-armed defenders built like a pit bull and treat defense like they’re filming Gladiator II.

Despite Thunder coach Mark Daigneault toggling his fifth starter most nights, Wallace is averaging the fifth-most minutes on the team behind the core four starters. For all intents and purposes, Wallace is the fifth starter.

He’s an essential cog in Oklahoma City’s historic defense, routinely putting the league’s best in straight jackets. He can make setting up your offense a herculean task when he wants to.

Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers

I wouldn't blame you if you’re not tuning into many Trail Blazers games. But they are developing a winning player in Portland, and his name is Toumani Camara. Thrown into the three-team trade between the Trail Blazers, Bucks and Suns that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee last summer, Camara might be the best player Portland acquired in their related deals.

While his stats don’t jump off the page (9 points on 45% shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.7 minutes), Camara makes winning plays. He’s active, ranking near the top of the team in deflections, loose balls recovered and drawn charges. There’s a Josh Hart-like grittiness to his game. He has a tendency to nearly single-handedly blow up opponents’ possessions, providing some of the best Trail Blazers highlights this season.

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NBA News Roundup

• Steph Curry and the Warriors spoiled Klay Thompson’s nautical return to the Bay Area, as Curry scored 12 points in the final minutes of a close game to put the Mavericks to bed. Curry finished with 37 and Thompson had 22.

• Joel Embiid made his season debut in the 76ers’ loss to the Knicks, finishing with 13 points on 2 for 11 shooting, three rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes. 76ers coach Nick Nurse told reporters his status was undetermined for Wednesday night’s tilt against the undefeated Cavaliers.

• Despite entering the game as 16-point underdogs, the short-handed Atlanta Hawks shocked the Boston Celtics, 117-116, thanks to a triple-double from Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniel, dominating both ends with 28 points and six steals. Daniels has at least six steals in each of his last three games.

NBA Cup standings, one day in

West A

• Portland — 1-0
• Sacramento — 0-0
• Houston — 0-0
• LA Clippers — 0-0
• Minnesota — 0-1

West B

• Phoenix — 1-0
• Oklahoma City — 0-0
• Los Angeles Lakers — 0-0
• San Antonio — 0-0
• Utah — 0-1

West C

• Golden State — 1-0
• Denver — 0-0
• New Orleans — 0-0
• Memphis — 0-0
• Dallas — 0-1

East A

• Orlando — 1-0
• New York — 1-0
• Brooklyn — 0-0
• Philadelphia — 0-1
• Charlotte — 0-1

East B

• Milwaukee — 1-0
• Detroit — 1-0
• Indiana — 0-0
• Miami — 0-1
• Toronto — 0-1

East C

• Atlanta — 1-0
• Cleveland — 0-0
• Chicago — 0-0
• Washington — 0-0
• Boston — 0-1