Washington Huskies basketball: Mock Draft Consensus on Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart 2.0
Jaden McDaniels, Washington Huskies basketball.
Jaden McDaniels – Forward, 6-10, 200-pounds
- Highest draft spot – Sacramento, 12th
- Lowest draft spot – Sacramento, 35th
- Most common draft spot – Oklahoma City, 25th
The Seattle native was in and out of Hopkins starting lineup last season. Even though he was a starter in two-thirds of the Huskies games, 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 his team.
Scouting report
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 frame. At 200-pounds, 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. It will be interesting to see how teams attack him in the NBA.
His skills aren’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 his team 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 at the next level.
“McDaniels has all the tools to be the type of high-upside, long and athletic two-way scoring wing NBA front offices dream about nabbing in the draft.” – Rob Schaefer NBC Sports, Chicago.
Prospects 2.0
Opinions of McDaniels are greatly mixed. He climbed up on some mocks and fell on others. McDaniels is a Top 26 in six mocks, and four others predict him to be selected in the second round.
The most popular choice for McDaniels is Oklahoma City with the 25th pick. He was Right behind the Thunder was Minnesota (17th) and Denver with three selections each.
There is plenty to consider with McDaniels. He isn’t exactly NBA ready but has some tantalizing skills that can help any team. Denver might not be a good fit. They already have two big men with skinny builds, Michael Porter Jr. (6-10, 218-pounds) and Bol Bol (7-2, 220-pounds).
Minnesota wouldn’t be the best place either. The T-Wolves can’t exactly wait for McDaniels to develop. Additionally, at 17, Siddiq Bey or Precious Achiuwa could fall to them.
OKC might be a better situation 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: 16th – Portland, 19th – Brooklyn, 23rd – Utah (2), 24th – Milwaukee, 26th – Boston (2), 29th – Toronto (2), 31st – Dallas (2), 33rd – New York, 35th Sacramento.
UW forward Jaden McDaniels showed off his versatility and two-way potential in a road win over Arizona: 20 PTS, 6 REBS and 3 BLK in 32 MIN. Not easy to find prospects 6-10+ with that handle, shooting potential and fluidity. Can impact the game in a lot of ways when at his best. pic.twitter.com/PoqXj04VDq
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 9, 2020