Bowling Green State University Athletics
Daniels Finds His Comfort Zone
October 13, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 8, 2006
By Ivan Carter, Washington Post Staff Writer -
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RICHMOND, Oct. 7 -- It was midway through last season before Antonio Daniels felt comfortable wearing a Washington Wizards uniform.
Daniels, who signed a five-year, $30 million contract in the summer of 2005, got off to a slow start offensively and had a tough time carving a role for himself in a crowded back court that included Gilbert Arenas, Jarvis Hayes and Chucky Atkins.
Opportunities opened up once Hayes went down with a season-ending injury and his role solidified once Atkins was released. Daniels eventually worked his way into a groove, earned Coach Eddie Jordan's trust and was a key player down the stretch as the Wizards scrapped their way into the playoffs.
Daniels averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 assists in March and 13.7 points and 4.9 assists in April. He finished the season ranked seventh in the NBA in assists per turnover (3.19) and regularly earned trips to the free throw line with his attacking, carefree style.
This season, Daniels expects to be on his game from opening night.
"I feel completely different this year," Daniels said. "The comfort level is night and day. Last year at this time, I was wondering if I was going to play, how much I was going to play and what my role on this team was. Now, all of that is established. I can just come out and concentrate on playing basketball. I know my niche."
Daniels, who is entering his 10th NBA season, also said he's in the best shape of his career. After weighing in at around 206 pounds last fall, Daniels reported to camp this season at around 197 pounds and he said he's trimmed his body fat to around 4.7 percent.
"I feel more athletic," Daniels said. "I'm lighter. Quicker. Just better."
Daniels, who keeps an offseason home in San Antonio where he played for three seasons, reached the new level of fitness with a grueling summer schedule that often featured three-a-day workouts.
He said he was typically in the gym by 6 a.m. for a series of ballhandling and shooting drills with a trainer, returned to the court around 11 a.m. for a series of pick-up games with a San Antonio area prep school team and would come back for more games in the evening.
Daniels also reconstructed his jump shot. A career 44.4 percent shooter, Daniels struggled with his jump shot early last season and wound up shooting 22.8 percent from three-point range, his lowest three-point percentage since his rookie season in 1997-98.
In camp, Daniels has been getting more arc on his shot and the ball appears to be coming out of his hand with better rotation. Last season he was releasing his shot at the very top of his jump and that caused the ball to come out of his hand in a straight line.
"This summer, I really worked on letting the ball go out of my hand earlier," Daniels said. "When you hold onto it late, the ball tends to come out flatter and that's what was happening last season. The key is staying balanced and getting a better release."
Daniels displayed his new shot on two possessions during Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, knocking down three-pointers when his man sagged off. Daniels made 6 of 9 shots in the scrimmage, leading all scorers with 16 points; he added three assists.
It's exactly that kind of steady, efficient performance Jordan expects out of Daniels.
"The shot's a lot better, you saw that in the scrimmage, and certainly he knows the offense," Jordan said. "He's probably our best defense player. He runs the show for us, man. He's good running the second team and he's good playing with Gilbert. There's no one else like that. I don't know where we'd be without him."
Wizards Notes: The team broke camp a day early and returned to Washington following the scrimmage. ... The black team won the 30-minute scrimmage, 53-49. The big basket was a tip-in by the black team's Michael Ruffin with less than a minute remaining. ... Monday's preseason opener at Verizon Center is the team's only home preseason game. The Wizards won't play at home again until the Nov. 4 regular season home opener against Boston.
