The case for Jaden McDaniels

[Skybox]

You know who was REALLY skinny?...Dwight Howard

The width of his shoulders led all scouts to conclude he had potential to have huge upper body strength, which occurred.





McDaniels now looks more like Isaac out of high school (I see limited physical space for upper body girth):

Absolutely. Dwight is genetically something special...I do remember a pic of him (I think in ESPN mag) right after he got drafted. No shirt on, side view...he looked like a question mark-so skinny. I was full on team Emeka Okafor, so don't ever listen to me again.

[pepe1991]

18 y.o. Howard




18 y.o. McDaniels


This is like comparing JJ Barea to Donovan MItchell....

[Xatticus]

You have to play the game.

GSW had the #1 odds and got #2 pick
Clev had the #2 odds and got #5 pick
Minny had the #3 odds and got the #1 pick

Not so terrible at the top 3

Interesting spots were:
Charlotte: went from #9 up to #3

In 2019:
The Pelicans had the #7 odds and got #1 pick
The Grizz had the #8 odds and got #2 pick
The Knicks had the #1 odds and got #3 pick
The Lakers had the #11 odds and got #4 pick
The Cavs had the #2 odds and got #5 pick
The Suns had the #3 odds and got #6 pick
The Bulls had the #4 odds and got #7 pick
The Hawks had the #5 odds and got #8 pick
The Wiz had the #6 odds and got #9 pick

In other words, the top 6 teams all dropped at least two slots, most three slots.
Last year proved why tanking can back-fire hugely.


..

It can. We don't really need the evidence of it for proof though. We know the rules and we can quite easily calculate the expected values. The fact remains, however, that you have the better odds of getting the better talent if you lose more games. If our target in next year's draft is Cade Cunningham, nothing we can do will increase our chances of selecting him so much as would losing more games than anyone else.

[BlueBlazer]

Not only can the guy shoot, his shot and release point is nearly unblockable.

Nobody in this draft should be comparing their stats to Kevin Durant. We're talking about the 15th pick here. People need to be reasonable.

40% from the field at 6’10? Yikes

It's a matter of projection. People believe in Edwards and Ball in the Top 3 while they shoot 40% or lower.

Noticed you added the 6'10 comment to avoid that comparison, but JM wasn't a typical 6'10 post player where those types usually have high FG% because they play in the post and get easy baskets.

I get what you’re saying but that percentage doesn’t exactly scream “innate feel for using his height to his advantage.” If he has a virtually unblockable release, that’s even more of an indictment IMO.

[Skin]

Train has fallen off the tracks with this JM to D12 body comparison. lol

Isaac is much closer. I see his body type potential in the mold of these guys with similar height/weight at the same point in time.











And the fact that Jaden already gained 15 pounds from HS to College is a good sign of positive growth. At an NBA SF projection, I don't have any bad feelings about JM being able to withstand the NBA game.

[Skin]

40% from the field at 6’10? Yikes

It's a matter of projection. People believe in Edwards and Ball in the Top 3 while they shoot 40% or lower.

Noticed you added the 6'10 comment to avoid that comparison, but JM wasn't a typical 6'10 post player where those types usually have high FG% because they play in the post and get easy baskets.

I get what you’re saying but that percentage doesn’t exactly scream “innate feel for using his height to his advantage.” If he has a virtually unblockable release, that’s even more of an indictment IMO.

Being blockable/unblockable is only one aspect of FG%. Where JM had issues with was his shot selection and inconsistencies with his base/footwork.

Here's one report to give you an idea.

https://www.babcockhoops.com/post/video-breakdown-jaden-mcdaniels

McDaniels’ ability to shoot on the perimeter will likely control his career floor. If he becomes reliable as an outside shooter, he will be able to add some value to a rotation, at the very least. His shooting mechanics are clean for the most part, as he utilizes a two-motion shot with a deceptively quick release — especially for a player with his length. When given a decent look, he wastes no movement getting to his high release point, making it difficult for his defender to contend. He was blocked only once in 127 three-point attempts this season. He converted 33.9% from beyond the arc, and while that percentage is not as high as you’d like from a potential first-round pick, I attribute his low shooting percentage more to his shot selection rather than his shooting mechanics or underlying ability. He’s a strong catch-and-shooter and he can also create space with an effective hesitation pull up dribble. Despite possessing a knack to hit tough shots, there were numerous plays this season that likely left Coach Mike Hopkins scratching his head. His pre-shot footwork is also worth monitoring, as well as his landing zones; both are sporadic and inconsistent at times. He will need some fine-tuning during his development process with these things. McDaniels’ decision making and shot selection will need to improve in order for him to be successful at the NBA level, but his unique ability to create and shoot from deep should not be ignored. In regards to his ability to create his own shot, he’s one of the best in the entire 2020 class, and probably only second to Anthony Edwards from Georgia.

Update on him honing his mechanics. Worth a listen.

Read on Twitter

Almost seven months removed from a freshman season that McDaniels described as upsetting, he regularly ripped off 15 treys in a row, handled the ball like a guard with tremendous footwork, played above the rim, dropped in floaters with soft touch and showed off his 9-foot-1 standing reach in verticality drills. It served as a reminder of why we briefly ranked him as the top prospect in the draft before he got to the University of Washington in January 2019. -- ESPN Insider, Mike Schmitz

[Howard Mass]

Skin,

I love how you do these each year.

I'm for BPA at #15 and it could be your guy.

[RookieStar]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

[zaymon]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

They are both forwards, McDaniels is taller but Okeke is longer and with stronger frame.
They are both fluid athletes, both not very explosive, McDaniels quicker.
Okeke is much more accurate shooter, McDaniels is better at getting his shot off.
Okeke is great off the ball, McDaniels is not moving much.
Okeke is in another tier as a post up player and finisher
Okeke is better passer and much better decision maker.
Okeke is much better team defender, has much quicker hands, is much better rebounder, fouls less.

Unless you project McDaniels to transform into first option offensively Okeke is better at almost everything else.

[RookieStar]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

They are both forwards, McDaniels is taller but Okeke is longer and with stronger frame.
They are both fluid athletes, both not very explosive, McDaniels quicker.
Okeke is much more accurate shooter, McDaniels is better at getting his shot off.
Okeke is great off the ball, McDaniels is not moving much.
Okeke is in another tier as a post up player and finisher
Okeke is better passer and much better decision maker.
Okeke is much better team defender, has much quicker hands, is much better rebounder, fouls less.

Unless you project McDaniels to transform into first option offensively Okeke is better at almost everything else.

Thanks.

If that is all true then I don't think we need Jaden as we have another rookie that's basically better than him already.

[zaymon]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

They are both forwards, McDaniels is taller but Okeke is longer and with stronger frame.
They are both fluid athletes, both not very explosive, McDaniels quicker.
Okeke is much more accurate shooter, McDaniels is better at getting his shot off.
Okeke is great off the ball, McDaniels is not moving much.
Okeke is in another tier as a post up player and finisher
Okeke is better passer and much better decision maker.
Okeke is much better team defender, has much quicker hands, is much better rebounder, fouls less.

Unless you project McDaniels to transform into first option offensively Okeke is better at almost everything else.

Thanks.

If that is all true then I don't think we need Jaden as we have another rookie that's basically better than him already.

It all depends on perceived role and development. Some think McDaniels could be someone like Tatum or Durant, maybe Ingram( i dont)- highly efficient self creators.
Okeke has smaller chance to become that taking into account his college carrier.
Personally i pick Okeke 9 out of 10 times in regard to their outcomes.

[KillMonger]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

They are both forwards, McDaniels is taller but Okeke is longer and with stronger frame.
They are both fluid athletes, both not very explosive, McDaniels quicker.
Okeke is much more accurate shooter, McDaniels is better at getting his shot off.
Okeke is great off the ball, McDaniels is not moving much.
Okeke is in another tier as a post up player and finisher
Okeke is better passer and much better decision maker.
Okeke is much better team defender, has much quicker hands, is much better rebounder, fouls less.

Unless you project McDaniels to transform into first option offensively Okeke is better at almost everything else.

Thanks.

If that is all true then I don't think we need Jaden as we have another rookie that's basically better than him already.

i'm taking both, at #15 you don't get much better at least potential wise unless someone falls

[Skin]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

Everyone wants a scoring guard at 15. Problem is the options available. The candidates are underwhelming. I do like Ramsey if I absolutely had to take one. Do you have a favorite?

Our GM wants length at every position. McDaniels is a long boi but he projects as a wing, not a big man (like you said).

I have high hopes for Okeke. I liked the pick a lot. But he doesn't detract my interest in McDaniels because Okeke is more of an off ball player. He's very effective in his limited role as a complimentary player. Typical glue guy. X factor. Can probably play 3 and D at both SF and PF. He's built and moves more like a PF. In an ideal world, he plays a role on a team similar to the way Jae Crowder fills his role. But Okeke has to get a lot stronger.

McDaniels is a scoring wing, not a big. He is better suited as a SF than a PF. If I saw him as a PF, then I would drop him down the board. One month into being 20 years old and he has all the makings, he just needs to put it all together. McDaniels is different because he can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He's quicker, more agile, more explosive and has a much better handle.

I think we are really lucky this year because the NBA is sleeping on this guy. Had he gone to Duke, not sure he'd make it out of the lottery. He has the talent pedigree. Washington was a bad team, but that was his hometown team. Not sure you can pin their losing on an incoming freshman, but it does show loyalty over being a front runner. Maybe overly sensitive to that as a Magic fan lol.

[Skin]

They are both forwards, McDaniels is taller but Okeke is longer and with stronger frame.
They are both fluid athletes, both not very explosive, McDaniels quicker.
Okeke is much more accurate shooter, McDaniels is better at getting his shot off.
Okeke is great off the ball, McDaniels is not moving much.
Okeke is in another tier as a post up player and finisher
Okeke is better passer and much better decision maker.
Okeke is much better team defender, has much quicker hands, is much better rebounder, fouls less.

Unless you project McDaniels to transform into first option offensively Okeke is better at almost everything else.

Thanks.

If that is all true then I don't think we need Jaden as we have another rookie that's basically better than him already.

It all depends on perceived role and development. Some think McDaniels could be someone like Tatum or Durant, maybe Ingram( i dont)- highly efficient self creators.
Okeke has smaller chance to become that taking into account his college carrier.
Personally i pick Okeke 9 out of 10 times in regard to their outcomes.

Durant, Tatum, Ingram... these comparisons are unfair. I liken the body type, but they all have varying ceilings. Not to mention, those guys are Top 3 picks. McDaniels is a reach at 15 for many mocks out there. Let's keep things in perspective. We'd have to get really really lucky for JM to get mentioned in the same sentence as those guys one day. Can it happen? I believe he gives us a better chance than anyone else projected to be available, so why not? At least he has the pedigree, seeing he was the top HS prospect at one point before the season started.

Also, in comparing Okeke to McDaniels, don't forget Okeke came out after 2 years of college ball and his first NBA year is done. If I project McDaniels over the same time span, I see a much superior player when he's the age that Okeke is now.

[RookieStar]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

Everyone wants a scoring guard at 15. Problem is the options available. The candidates are underwhelming. I do like Ramsey if I absolutely had to take one. Do you have a favorite?

Our GM wants length at every position. McDaniels is a long boi but he projects as a wing, not a big man (like you said).

I have high hopes for Okeke. I liked the pick a lot. But he doesn't detract my interest in McDaniels because Okeke is more of an off ball player. He's very effective in his limited role as a complimentary player. Typical glue guy. X factor. Can probably play 3 and D at both SF and PF. He's built and moves more like a PF. In an ideal world, he plays a role on a team similar to the way Jae Crowder fills his role. But Okeke has to get a lot stronger.

McDaniels is a scoring wing, not a big. He is better suited as a SF than a PF. If I saw him as a PF, then I would drop him down the board. One month into being 20 years old and he has all the makings, he just needs to put it all together. McDaniels is different because he can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He's quicker, more agile, more explosive and has a much better handle.

I think we are really lucky this year because the NBA is sleeping on this guy. Had he gone to Duke, not sure he'd make it out of the lottery. He has the talent pedigree. Washington was a bad team, but that was his hometown team. Not sure you can pin their losing on an incoming freshman, but it does show loyalty over being a front runner. Maybe overly sensitive to that as a Magic fan lol.

Favorite? No... but any of the 3pt shooting, scoring guys with suspect defense expected to be in our range is good enough for me. My attitude would change though 1 week before the draft because thats when more info would. Ome out.

Actually me being a duke fan i sometimes get high school prospects and what i heard/impessed before their freshmen year was rhat JM was supposedly a F/C not a wing? My info could ve wrong though.

And yeah for me JM is more of the run around fluid guy in the mold of a KD/Ingram rather than Okeke which i get is nore on the bruiser type

[Skin]

I gotta admit there is a case for him but Im just tired if our GM always drafting the longboi bigman. I want a scoring guard this time.

Also, how does he stack up/compare against our red shirt rookie Okeke?

Everyone wants a scoring guard at 15. Problem is the options available. The candidates are underwhelming. I do like Ramsey if I absolutely had to take one. Do you have a favorite?

Our GM wants length at every position. McDaniels is a long boi but he projects as a wing, not a big man (like you said).

I have high hopes for Okeke. I liked the pick a lot. But he doesn't detract my interest in McDaniels because Okeke is more of an off ball player. He's very effective in his limited role as a complimentary player. Typical glue guy. X factor. Can probably play 3 and D at both SF and PF. He's built and moves more like a PF. In an ideal world, he plays a role on a team similar to the way Jae Crowder fills his role. But Okeke has to get a lot stronger.

McDaniels is a scoring wing, not a big. He is better suited as a SF than a PF. If I saw him as a PF, then I would drop him down the board. One month into being 20 years old and he has all the makings, he just needs to put it all together. McDaniels is different because he can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He's quicker, more agile, more explosive and has a much better handle.

I think we are really lucky this year because the NBA is sleeping on this guy. Had he gone to Duke, not sure he'd make it out of the lottery. He has the talent pedigree. Washington was a bad team, but that was his hometown team. Not sure you can pin their losing on an incoming freshman, but it does show loyalty over being a front runner. Maybe overly sensitive to that as a Magic fan lol.

Favorite? No... but any of the 3pt shooting, scoring guys with suspect defense expected to be in our range is good enough for me. My attitude would change though 1 week before the draft because thats when more info would. Ome out.

Actually me being a duke fan i sometimes get high school prospects and what i heard/impessed before their freshmen year was rhat JM was supposedly a F/C not a wing? My info could ve wrong though.

And yeah for me JM is more of the run around fluid guy in the mold of a KD/Ingram rather than Okeke which i get is nore on the bruiser type

You can easily get a 3pt shooting guy with suspect defense much later in the draft, even going deep into round 2. It's one of the reasons I didn't want to teach for one at 15. Bane, Hughes, Woodley, Stanley, Joe, Quickly, Nwora.... take your pick.

[fendilim]

It's a matter of projection. People believe in Edwards and Ball in the Top 3 while they shoot 40% or lower.

Noticed you added the 6'10 comment to avoid that comparison, but JM wasn't a typical 6'10 post player where those types usually have high FG% because they play in the post and get easy baskets.

I get what you’re saying but that percentage doesn’t exactly scream “innate feel for using his height to his advantage.” If he has a virtually unblockable release, that’s even more of an indictment IMO.

Being blockable/unblockable is only one aspect of FG%. Where JM had issues with was his shot selection and inconsistencies with his base/footwork.

Here's one report to give you an idea.

https://www.babcockhoops.com/post/video-breakdown-jaden-mcdaniels

McDaniels’ ability to shoot on the perimeter will likely control his career floor. If he becomes reliable as an outside shooter, he will be able to add some value to a rotation, at the very least. His shooting mechanics are clean for the most part, as he utilizes a two-motion shot with a deceptively quick release — especially for a player with his length. When given a decent look, he wastes no movement getting to his high release point, making it difficult for his defender to contend. He was blocked only once in 127 three-point attempts this season. He converted 33.9% from beyond the arc, and while that percentage is not as high as you’d like from a potential first-round pick, I attribute his low shooting percentage more to his shot selection rather than his shooting mechanics or underlying ability. He’s a strong catch-and-shooter and he can also create space with an effective hesitation pull up dribble. Despite possessing a knack to hit tough shots, there were numerous plays this season that likely left Coach Mike Hopkins scratching his head. His pre-shot footwork is also worth monitoring, as well as his landing zones; both are sporadic and inconsistent at times. He will need some fine-tuning during his development process with these things. McDaniels’ decision making and shot selection will need to improve in order for him to be successful at the NBA level, but his unique ability to create and shoot from deep should not be ignored. In regards to his ability to create his own shot, he’s one of the best in the entire 2020 class, and probably only second to Anthony Edwards from Georgia.

Update on him honing his mechanics. Worth a listen.

Read on Twitter

Almost seven months removed from a freshman season that McDaniels described as upsetting, he regularly ripped off 15 treys in a row, handled the ball like a guard with tremendous footwork, played above the rim, dropped in floaters with soft touch and showed off his 9-foot-1 standing reach in verticality drills. It served as a reminder of why we briefly ranked him as the top prospect in the draft before he got to the University of Washington in January 2019. -- ESPN Insider, Mike Schmitz

His stroke reminds me of Isaac’s.

[basketballRob]

To be honest I'd rather have a player with a developed body this year. We always hear that a player will be good once they gain 30 lbs or so, but sometimes they never do. It makes things so much easier when they're physically ready from day 1.

Sure everyone refers to Howard's size gains, but he was physically ready to play 82 games his rookie year. Terry and McDaniels aren't ready. They should play another year in college and try to develop.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[yoyojw17]

As i've said in other posts.... not sure if i'll make that my primary pick if all we had was the #15.... because there are a lot of players that fit positional and talent needs at that range that would be available. BUUUUUTTTTT if we could get a second mid first rounder while filling a need with the other pick... i'm totally down with picking him up. I do see him as offensive Isaac... we will see more offensive potential while still getting the defensive perks. I know people might knock the entire length thing.... but when you have a group of players all defensively switchable with 6'10'" wingspans.... the court can become really small.... really quickly. His down year and transition into college could become our benefit.

not sure if Fournier + #45 can fetch us another mid to late 1st rounder... but i'll entertain it and get nesmith, lewis, terry, bey, green,hampton, etc + McDaniels out this draft.

[MasterGMer]

I do not like Jaden. I don't trust his Shot Selection and I do not like his understanding of the game. He just doesn't get it.