In the NBA, shooting is often the swing skill for incoming prospects. Whether or not a young player can improve in that department often creates separation between being a good starter or a potential star.

Of course, there are exceptions. DeMar DeRozan and Jimmy Butler are two major examples of players who play on the perimeter without utilizing the 3-point shot on high volume. Collectively, the two took just 258 attempts from range last season. That's what Stephen Curry takes in 20 games.

It's exceptions like Butler and DeRozan that New Orleans Pelicans rookie Dyson Daniels hopes to feature into, at least initially, as he rounds out his game.

The 6-foot-8 dynamo, who is listed at guard but can realistically play the forward spot too, is a do-it-all player who has still to refine his shooting. At just 19, age is on his side, however.

Daniels spent last season playing in 29 games for the G League Ignite, putting up fairly crazy numbers of 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and two steals per contest, in 31.6 minutes of playing time.

He hit just over 45% from the field, and an even 30% from range on 100 total attempts, and struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 53.3% on the year. Fortunately for Daniels, the freebies aren't necessarily much indication of future shooting success, as he took just 45 attempts.

While free throws are always a tremendous tool to watch for future shooting purposes, volume does factor in. The level of skepticism in Daniels' free throw shooting would be much higher if he'd sported a 53.3% accuracy rate on 450 free throws, as opposed to just 45.

In short, small sample sizes aren't great evaluators and Daniels hasn't sported high volume from either the 3-point line or free throw line, suggesting we simply don't know him that well as a shooter as we'd like to think.

So why spend so much time bringing up Daniels' shooting? Well, for one, prospects always get analyzed based on multiple aspects, shooting being a chief component. But sometimes, we all need to look a bit deeper to make a more accurate read on where a guy is.

When the Philadelphia 76ers selected Tyrese Maxey, similar questions hovered over him. Instead of realizing he had a motor that was arguably the best of any guard in his draft class, concerns about whether or not he'd ever be able to hit the three reliably took over. Last season, his second in the NBA, he hit 42.7% on 4.1 nightly attempts, proving that shooting can come in time, and further establishing that he should have been selected 12-15 spots before was at, at #21.

Fortunately for Daniels, he was drafted No. 8 overall, which does mean the Pelicans are keenly aware of his long-term upside, and even current attributes. Daniels isn't entirely unlike fellow Australian Josh Giddey in terms of having roughly the same type of statistical production. The rebounding is outstanding, the playmaking has upside, both are 6-foot-8 with the ability to handle the ball, and neither are yet great shooters.

But where Daniels differ is in his defensive upside. While we can sit here all day and wonder about his shooting upside, Daniels projects as a super switchable, high-end defender who can guard ball-handlers of any size, wings, and the occasional big.

The allure is that the 19-year-old can do that while also play a significant role offensively - shooting concerns or not. He isn't some Matisse Thybulle who's one of the best defenders in the world, but unplayable on the postseason due to a complete lack of offensive game.

(I realize I'm one Ben Simmons mention away from this turning into a piece about Australian basketball culture, so let's see if we can get a full bingo later on.)

Daniels being able to produce offense via passing, or getting himself to the rim is insanely huge for his long-term success, and he demonstrated both in the G League.

Granted, the NBA is a different beast, and there's no doubt that a reliable jumper will help him unlock some driving lanes.

This isn't to undermine the value of shooting, which remains a crucial part of overall NBA success. But, there's a difference in being overall offensively potent enough to warrant minutes, and being an offensive liability.

Furthermore, role is equally important. The Pelicans aren't going to throw Daniels out there with the expectation of him becoming an immediate two-way star. They're going to build him up, step-by-step, as they are Herb Jones already.

First, they're going to establish a baseline. Where is Daniels as a defender? Where is he as an offensive contributor? At what level is his playmaking? How many minutes can he mentally handle early on? All these parameters are going to factor in, and the Pelicans are undoubtedly going to adjust accordingly as the season progresses.

For Daniels, this approach couldn't be better. While he's likely entering the league excited and ready to go, he's still just 19 and has a long road ahead of him, if he wants to turn into the two-way dynamic guard/wing he can become. The fact that the tools are there already is great, but time and maturity plays an equally important role.

At the end of the day, it's in the best interests of both Daniels and the Pelicans, that he leans into his strengths, and builds from there, not dissimilar to how the Sixers approached the development of Ben Simmons.

So let's cut to the chase because you all want to know what his upside is, right? What the name of the player is, he could become? That's how this works, and I get that. Screw individuality, let's get some comps on the table!

Okay, fine. I'll make an exception. Because while I mostly think comparions are outdated and can hurt more than they help, there is one player who Daniels reminds me of, and it's a name that's been frequently attached to him since the pre-draft process back in April and May. There's a good chance you've heard it before.

There you go. Felt good, didn't it? We finally have an archetype to compare to!

Except, let me ruin your fun with some caveats. Because I'm old and boring, and feel a strong need to try to be at least a little thorough.

Iguodala, even as a rookie, was a physical specimen. His broad shoulders and overall strength allowed him - on both ends - to absorb contact to a degree that cannot be expected of Daniels quite yet. Furthermore, Iguodala had been physically strong for a while when he entered the league, so he wasn't looking at altering his body, or adding significant muscle. He felt comfortable immediately, and that level of confidence in having an NBA-ready body from the get-go gave him a mental advantage.

Daniels, for all we know, could also hit the ground running and become a high-impact rookie like Iggy was. But odds are his body will take a few years to fill out in the right places, and that itself will have an attached learning curve.

Additionally, Iguodala turned into one of this generation's best defenders and one of the most clever two-way wings over the past 20 years. His intelligence on the court nothing short of spectacular, and that's putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on Daniels, who has yet to play a single second of proper NBA basketball.

But yes, in terms of height, movement, positional fluidity, skills, there are admittedly quite a few similarities.

So what are the Pelicans going to get from Daniels this season?

Frankly, it's difficult to gauge. At worst, he should come in and be able to offer some switchable defense and help on the glass. It gets overlooked, but Daniels is a formidable rebounder, who likely is going to get even better when his frame fills out.

In terms of pure shot-making capabilities, let's revisit that at a later point, because a lot depends on the players he'll share the floor with, and what his shot volume is going to look like. But I do think it's fair to expect to see him show an ability to generally get the ball moving towards the basket. Whether he'll finish at a high rate remains to be seen, but the combination of size and ball-handling definitely works in his favor.

Regardless, Daniels is one of the most intriguing rookies to follow this season. 

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Morten has managed to create a stable career for himself, launching Denmark's first weekly NBA radio show, and co-hosting a weekly NBA TV show. He's a seasoned basketball analyst and is experienced covering the league and its upcoming prospects.