Jaden McDaniels, Washington Huskies basketball.
Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart, Washington Huskies basketball.
The NBA Draft is an important time for the Washington Huskies basketball program. Dawg fans can celebrate former players’ achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to play at the highest professional basketball level.
The more Huskies that make it to the NBA, the more attractive Mike Hopkins’ program becomes, in the eyes of prospective recruits. Last year two Washington players were selected in the draft Matisse Thybulle (1st round, 20th overall, Washington Wizards) and Jaylen Nowell (2nd 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. As of now, October 16 is the listed date for the NBA Draft. Various rumors have the league moving it back another month to mid-November. That would give the league enough time to do proper interviews and evaluations.
This year a pair of young UW forwards are predicted to be (for the most part) first-round picks. We audited 24 mock drafts, including The Atletic, CBS, NBC, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer to get a consensus of where the dynamic duo of Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart will get drafted.
Both of the forwards left school after their freshman seasons. Some think they should have stayed and developed their respective games more. Others believe there are no guarantees about a college basketball season, and now was the time to leave. Let’s see what the mock drafters think.
Jaden McDaniels, Washington Huskies basketball.
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.
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.
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.
Isaiah Stewart, Washington Huskies. (Photo by Ron Sellers Flickr)
Judging by the wide difference in opinions, the jury is still out on Stewart. He was a force inside for the Washington Huskies last year. Stewart scored 17.0 points and pulled down 8.8 rebounds per game.
Scouts love Stewart’s high energy, physicality, and especially his 7-4 wingspan. He doesn’t shy away from doing the dirty work on the glass. Stewart is also an outstanding defensive player. Physically imposing in the low post, he treats the paint as if it belonged to him, and trespassers will be punished.
For as good as Stewart is down low, he doesn’t do nearly as well from further out. The first team All-Pac-12 center struggles with his shooting range in games. Additionally, Stewart doesn’t possess great athletic ability. With a premium on smaller and faster in the NBA, Stewart is a limited player at this point.
“He’s one of the most liked bigs by front offices due to his terrific work ethic and motor…Evaluators are also big believers in his ability to shoot the basketball. Folks who went up to Washington’s practices this season said that he was knocking shots down from distance with ease. He also hit 77 percent of his free throws. Ultimately though, Stewart will be a rim running, rim protecting 5 who rebounds it well and provides a tough interior presence.” – Sam Vecine, Athletic
Mock drafters are as unsure about Stewart as they are McDaniels. Four mocks have Stewart headed to Boston at 26; two more predict the Celtics will select him at 30. He would fit in nicely with Boston’s board pounding, defensively strong team. Stewart is also predicted to go to the Raptors on four mock drafts. Toronto would be a great place to develop his game and find out how he fits into the NBA.
Other places Stewart might end up: 17th – Minnesota, 19th – Brooklyn, 22nd – Denver (2), 23rd – Utah (2), 24th Milwaukee, 25th – Oklahoma City (3), 31st – Dallas, and 36th – Philadelphia. Three mock drafts were one round only and didn’t have Stewart listed. There was also a two-round mock that didn’t select him at all, which is ridiculous.
It almost hurts to think how good the Washington Huskies basketball team would do this season if Stewart and McDaniels stuck around for another year.