Portland Trail Blazers prospect three – Jaden McDaniels
Stretch four Jaden McDaniels out of Washington is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft. Ranked 7th in last year’s recruiting class, McDaniels is a six-foot-nine forward with a big seven-foot wingspan.
Very similar to the above prospects, McDaniels has great ball-handling skills. He doesn’t have the defensive chops of the above prospects. Still, his rare combination of ball-handling and shooting ability means he will draw comparisons to people like Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Durant.
McDaniels frame is a worry though, this is the main reason he is unable to guard most fours and fives. He is just 200 pounds and his slender frame may mean he is unable to put on weight. This means he is primarily a small forward.
He cannot punish smaller players inside because of his lightweight build, but he will be able to shoot over them. He has a nice shooting form and can come off screens or spot up in the corners. I don’t think he will have the ball in his hands right away in the NBA, so he will need to work on his off the ball game.
Outside of his shooting, his finishing is a concern too. He obviously can’t finish through contact because of his size, but he doesn’t use his length well at the rim yet. This and his decision-making require work if he is to be a rotation player in the NBA.
As a defender he could potentially guard smaller players as he does have quick feet. He is also a good shot-blocker, but this is primarily from a help perspective.
McDaniels is a raw prospect who has an untapped offensive game, he may not fit the Blazers timeline but he plays the position and has the skills this team needs in the future.
All three of these prospects have skills that the Blazers could use at the three and four, but the development time is the key. Will they go with someone young or someone that can help right away?