Jalen McDaniels is grateful to be here, and Sixers fans should be thrilled to have him
After Jalen McDaniels put on a Sixers uniform for the first time in a 101-98 win in Brooklyn, Doc Rivers repeated in the post-game presser that the only acquisition the Sixers made at the 2023 trade deadline will be really “big” for them. All Sixers fans want to believe him, but for those who still can’t, this article is here to tell you why you should.
The trade that sent away Matisse Thybulle’s contract and a prized 2023 second round pick in exchange of Jalen McDaniels and two second round picks took place along the ownerships’ desire to get below the tax, but it shouldn’t let anybody lower their expectation about the freshly arrived Sixer. The 6’9’’ wing is having a career year in pretty much every statistical category, including a major boost in minutes played per game.
Saying goodbye to the polarizing-but-endearing Matisse Thybulle was difficult for plenty Sixers fans, and many feared that trading away one of our sole defensive specialists was a bad idea. To say the least, the acquisition of Jalen makes it really easier to lighten those worries. The older McDaniels in the NBA (his brother, Jalen, plays on the Timberwolves) is a really versatile and underrated defender.
His 7 feet long wingspan makes him an incredibly powerful disruptor. He’s harvesting 1.2 steals per game this season, and his propensity to perpetually fill the driving lanes with his length before being able to quickly contest shots will perfectly fit the team’s defense. We’ve already seen him make some damage as a top defender in the team 2-3 zone. He’s also an athletic presence on the glass –13.8% defensive rebounding rate, which ranks in the 84th percentile of NBA wings this year– something the team very much needed.
Amongst the ten players he guarded the most this year are Jayson Tatum, Demar DeRozan and Kevin Durant. Charlotte’s depleted point-of-attack defense made him their top defender, and he did an overall good job taking on those assignments. When projecting into possible match-ups the Sixers may have to face during this year’s playoffs, having a 6’9” guy to throw at bigger wings while keeping your switching approach unhinged, because the said guy is mobile enough to switch onto guards, is a pretty huge shift in momentum.
Furthermore, his major advantage over the principal counterpart in the trade is on offense, where he’s much more assertive. Even though he shoots an inefficient 32.8% on threes this year, the volume is promising, he’s always been a good free-throw shooter and the form looks solid. His athleticism will also perpetuate the only offensive weapon Matisse brought to the team: a dangerous cutter. Instead of just sitting in the corners, he looks to cut and find angles near the rim. Niang and Tucker already do that, but their physical attributes limit their production there.
More importantly, Jalen can put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts, making him a better connector than Thybulle ever was. He’s still not a great finisher at the rim, but you can at least trust him to capitalize on the momentary advantages others will create for him.
Once you really take his aptitudes on both sides of the floor in consideration, you start to realize how much flexibility he adds to the roster. Similar to Melton’s impact here since his arrival, Jalen’s reliability and all-around capabilities will make him a versatile and contributing piece to fill up the wings. These types of role players with no apparent holes in their games are sometimes what makes the difference in the playoffs.
His physical attributes could make him a great weak-side rim protector, something the team really lacks outside of Embiid. Jalen spent 80% of his minutes at the small-forward spot, but with the Sixers experimenting more and more three-guards lineups, the Washington native could be plugged as a power forward to keep the offensive flow intact and bring some size and defense to those lineups.
For Philly’s new number seven, this unexpected change of scenery comes at the best time possible. He recently turned 25 years old and is nearing the end of a four-years deal he signed with Charlotte in 2019, making him susceptible of receiving the biggest offer of his career during this year’s free agency. He has until the end of the season to raise his value as much as possible, and there’s no better way of doing that than by being impactful on a team with contending aspirations. Now that they’ve acquired his bird rights, The Sixers have a larger margin of maneuverer if they really want to keep him.
He expressed his gratitude multiple times already, saying that playing with superstars like Embiid and Harden was like “a dream come true” and that he’s ready to make the most of it.
The 2023 trade deadline may have unravelled as a midly disappointing one for the Sixers, but Jalen McDaniels’ addition only cost a struggling player and a pick that the Sixers most certainly wouldn’t have significantly developed, while it pushes the team’s flexibility, upside and ultimately, contention chances even higher.
Welcome to Philly Jalen, and Go Sixers!
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Categorized:Sixers