NBL Prospect Clash: Karim López vs. Dash Daniels Reactions and Observations
Corey Tulaba shares some early takeaways on potential 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Karim López and Dash Daniels.
The NBL is back, and for my fellow draft sickos, that means one thing: we finally get some fresh game film on some intriguing 2026 NBA Draft prospects. In an early-season clash between Melbourne United and the NZ Breakers, we got a chance to get some eyes on two potential 2026 NBA Draftees: Breakers forward Karim López and Melbourne guard Dash Daniels.
I came away with a notebook full of real-time reactions, so here are my raw and unfiltered thoughts on this very early-season prospect battle.
Karim López: A Frustrating Mix of Tools and Inconsistency
If you were looking for López to burst onto the scene and make an immediate impact, his first quarter was a large bucket of cold water. To be as kind as I can possibly be, it was a…umm…rough start. Lopez struggled to create advantages by trying to beat his man off the bounce, he failed to exploit smaller defenders inside, and he looked perplexingly lost defensively. He missed an early basic low-man tag that led to a Jesse Edwards dunk, and then threw a poorly placed pocket pass to the roller for a turnover. After just three or four minutes, he was pulled.
When he returned in the second quarter, the struggles continued. Defensively, he was guarding too upright in isolation, leading to an easy bucket after being taken off the bounce for a spin away middy. Shortly after that, López bit on a ball fake in the paint so hard that he landed on the offensive player, sending him to the line. His three-point shot looked mechanical and uncomfortable. You could almost see him thinking about each step of the jumper. It was the kind of half that leaves you with a lot more questions than answers.
The good news is that it isn’t possible to have another half nearly as concerning as the first, and after halftime, we saw some flashes of why scouts are intrigued. López hit a catch-and-shoot three with confidence—he just let it fly without overthinking it, which can be an issue for him. We saw him use his length and standing reach to fly in for a tip-in, and he made a nice effort running the pipe in transition, establishing position and creating a mismatch before finishing with extension around the rim. His physical tools are obvious, and when he plays with urgency, he can impact the game.
But López’s motor runs hot and cold. In the fourth quarter, he seemed to be playing the score rather than the clock and was pretty checked out after a non-call on a drive, loafing on a baseline drive on the other end instead of making a rotation to make a play on the ball as the low man.
I’d be remiss to not mention the plays that pop. He had a really nice dive off a screen and roll that ended in a big time flush and he unveiled a slick iso possession, flashing some creation from the perimeter. I do think this particular possession is more the exception to the rule, and it still looked a little clunky compared to some of the smoother big wing/forward creators, but it was slick nonetheless.
Final Thoughts: López has the size and length, but he’s often thinking instead of reacting, processing the game a step too slow. The consistency of his effort also has to improve…and quickly. The second half highlights, as NZ was getting blown out, kind of paint a distorted picture of his play throughout the entirety of the game. As it stands right now, I struggle to see what makes López a markedly better prospect than Alex Toohey, who was drafted late in the second round last June.
Dash Daniels: Energy, Poise, and a Pleasant Surprise
While López struggled early, Daniels made his presence felt with sheer activity and motor. In limited first-quarter minutes, he flew in for an offensive board, missing a tip-in (but still securing the board), finished a layup in transition, and capitalized at the rim on a turnover when Melbourne put on a full-court press. There wasn’t necessarily an NBA-level skill that jumps off the screen, but he plays hard—and that matters.
As the game went on, Daniels grew more comfortable. He hit his patented floater off two on a straight line drive, made smart defensive rotations, and generated a steal by fronting the post when he was mismatched on a big. His decision-making wasn’t perfect as he had a silly turnover trying to weave through defenders starting the break—but he was making a clear impact and making the most of his minutes.
What stood out most was his touch in the paint and fearlessness. Daniels attacked the paint repeatedly, getting defenders on their heels and showing some nice in-and-out dribbles to get them off balance before finishing with soft touch on his push shots and layups. He had a really nice same foot same hand layup over a rim contest that was slick. The jumper is still a work in progress–the form is pretty funky, and while he missed a catch-and-shoot jumper in the first half, he buried one later during garbage time. He also showed some nice instincts within Melbourne’s defensive scheme, making quick rotations and mostly getting to the right spots off the ball so as to not break down the defensive infrastructure.
Final Thoughts: Daniels outperformed my personal expectations. I’ve been skeptical based on his previous tape, but his energy, ability to touch paint, and comfortable pace as the game went on were pleasant surprises.
The Big Picture? It’s One Game, Don’t Panic
It’s important to remember that this is just one game. The Breakers looked disorganized, and López’s struggles came within an early-season blowout. Daniels’s success also needs some context—as I’d wager he won’t find the paint this available against some of the stiffer NBL competition.
For López, the path is clear—play harder and think faster. The tools are there, but the mindset needs to catch up.
For Daniels, the question becomes this: can he maintain this level of play against better competition?
The draft cycle is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ll be watching closely to see which way the pendulum swings for both prospects. For now, Daniels left a positive first impression—or dare I say a Dash of optimism. Karim López left me waiting for more.
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