Zion’s seal of approval: Dash proves he belongs

What better way to test your development than against established NBA stars, and Next Star Dash Daniels passed his early test with flying colours.

The 17-year-old looked every bit an NBA prospect in Melbourne United’s clash against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, drawing praise from players and coaches alike.

“He was a very active defender. He made some offensive plays that I definitely liked from him,” Zion Williamson said.

“I told him ‘I better see you in the NBA really soon’.”

Daniels finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and a steal in 27 minutes’ game time on a historic night for basketball in Australia.

Considered a potential top 10 pick at next year’s NBA Draft, the young gun has a bright future ahead, following in the footsteps of his brother Dyson.

“His (Daniels’) defensive instincts are very similar to his brother,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said.

“He picks up full court, long arms, great size, he’s physical and he caused some havoc for us defensively.

“He’s a really good player.”

Green was full of praise for Melbourne United too, with Dean Vickerman’s team pushing a star-studded NBA roster all the way to the finish in a 10-point defeat.

“We watched a tonne of film on these guys. They do a great job of running their offence, they run it with force, they run it with pace,” Green said.

“They are extremely unselfish and they made it tough for us tonight. They’re a heck of a team.”

“They moved the ball very, very well. You can tell they’re a really well coached team,” Trey Murphy III added.

United were led by star guard Milton Doyle, who finished with 25 points, while Finn Delany had 13 to go with 9 rebounds.

The only sour note for United was injuries to Shea Ili (leg) and Tyson Walker (hand).