Jaden McDaniels, Washington Huskies basketball.
The NBA Draft is an important time for the Washington Huskies basketball program. UW fans can celebrate former players’ achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to play at the highest professional basketball level. Such is the case with Jaden McDaniels.
When more Huskies make it to the NBA, Washington becomes a more desirable destination for top recruits. Last year two Washington players were selected in the draft Matisse Thybulle (first round, 20th overall, Washington Wizards) and Jaylen Nowell (second round, 43rd overall, Minnesota Timberwolves). That brought the total number of Huskies who played in the NBA during the 2019–20 season to nine.
Due to COVID-19, the draft will be much different than it has ever been. The NBA recently wrapped up a virtual combine for prospects, just in time for Draft Night on November 18.
This year, young UW forward Jaden McDaniels is predicted to be (for the most part) a first-round pick. We audited 37 mock drafts, including The Athletic, CBS, NBC, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer, to reach a consensus of where McDaniels will get drafted.
He left school after his freshman season. Some think McDaniels should have stayed and further developed his game. Others believe there are no guarantees about the viability of a full 2020-21 college basketball season, and he was right to leave.
Let’s see what the mock drafters think.
The Seattle native was one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of Federal Way High School. He didn’t have a smooth transition to college ball, which took him in and out of Hopkins’ starting lineup last season.
Even though he didn’t start every Huskies game, McDaniels still averaged 31.1 minutes per night, contributing 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. There were many times he was the best player on the court. Then there were other times when his inexperience and mistakes cost the Huskies.
McDaniels is a raw talent. Even with a 7-foot wingspan, he projects as a wing player at the next level. That’s due to his rail-thin 200-pound frame. McDaniels won’t be boxing and banging with the big boys on the glass. But because of his size and athletic ability, he might out jump them, though. It will be interesting to see how teams attack his defense in the NBA.
Talent isn’t a problem. Last season, McDaniels showed flashes of brilliance on the court. The issue is his consistency. Somewhere along the line, McDaniels needs to prove to the team who drafts him that they can count on him as a dependable performer. He’ll also have to improve his long-range shooting because 33.9 percent from three won’t cut it for him as a wing at the next level.
“Jaden McDaniels is a late blooming prospect with significant talent who had some phenomenal flashes of talent as a freshman but is still learning how to impact games consistently.” – NBA.com.
Opinions of McDaniels are greatly mixed. He climbed up on some mocks and fell on others. Make no mistake; his draft status is based on potential. McDaniels, at this point, is a medium risk, mega-high reward option. He’s definitely getting drafted. On every mock draft that went two rounds, McDaniels was included.
McDaniels is a Top 20 pick in seven mocks, 28 more have him going between picks 21-30, and four project him as a second-rounder. The most popular choice for McDaniels is Oklahoma City, with the 25th pick. He was slotted there in 25 percent of the mock drafts (10 picks). The next most likely landing spots were Utah at 23 and Toronto at 29, each with four hits.
There is plenty to consider with McDaniels. He isn’t exactly NBA ready but does have some tantalizing skills that can help any team. With good coaching, nutrition, and time, he might develop into a star.
OKC is a good situation for him to land in because he would make a nice three-man rotation with Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams if the Thunder re-signs Gallinari. Even if they don’t keep the 6-10 Italian, Oklahoma City is a small ball team, a 6-10 wing in their lineup would be a matchup problem for whoever defends him.
Other places McDaniels might end up: 11th – San Antonio, 17th – Minnesota (2 times), 19 – Brooklyn (3), 22 – Denver, 24th – Milwaukee, 26th – Boston, 27th – Knicks, 30th – Boston (2), 32nd – Charlotte (2), 33 – Minnesota.
Imagine how awesome the Washington Huskies basketball team would be if McDaniels stuck around Seattle for one more season.