4. Jaden McDaniels
2 Selections
Jaden McDaniels is the definition of a project piece. After coming into his freshman year as one of the highest-rated prospects in the country he just never put it all together during his lone season at Washington. It was very reminiscent of Nassir Little’s time at North Carolina, where he came in as the No. 2 ranked prospect in his class and was never able to even crack the starting lineup.
McDaniels struggled most with his decision making. At times he seemed almost lost on the court, leading to lots of inexplainable turnovers and questionable shot selection. This transitioned into his defensive game, where he had a tendency to reach for the ball too often, leading to lots of fouls.
Where McDaniels value lies is in his potential. As a skinny seven-foot forward who can shoot, he’s drawn plenty of comparisons to Kevin Durant, and during times in his high school career that comparison seemed almost fair.
If he can put it all together McDaniels may end up being the best player in the draft, it’s just a matter of if teams will be willing to take the risk on a player who could barely contribute effectively in college, let alone who’s proven himself against NBA talent.
But if any team would take a shot on him early it would be Portland. Olshey loves to draft project pieces with high upside, and drafting him would make three such first-round selections in a row for the team.
3. Aaron Nesmith
3 Selections
Aaron Nesmith is a player who would probably get taken much higher if not for the small sample size of his excellence. In just 14 games last season before succumbing to a foot injury, Nesmith was perhaps the best offensive player in the NCAA.
He averaged 23 points per game on mind-boggling 51/52/83 splits while showing off NBA range from behind the arc. If those numbers aren’t a mirage, Nesmith could be an exciting and dynamic scorer in the NBA for years to come.
He also was one of the lone bright spots on a woeful Vanderbilt defense. His combination of long arms and high basketball IQ makes him more than capable and his defensive skills should mostly translate to the next level.
While he is no doubt a special talent, the question for Portland will be one of fit. Nesmith is a good defender but not quite the special talent on that end of the floor they’re looking for.
He also is an offensive black hole which his 0.9 assists per game can attest to, which doesn’t mesh well with Carmelo Anthony’s similar style of play. It will be up to Olshey to decide whether his raw talent outweighs his scheme fit.