NBA Comparison: Jonathan Isaac

Strengths: Former highly touted HS recruit is a modern day, face-up frontcourt player with a budding perimeter skill set … A long-striding athlete with good body control, footwork and the ability to run the floor and cover ground well … Physically fits the bill of the “positionless” NBA standard as he’s around 6’10 with great length (7-foot wingspan) and “skill potential” … Likes to pull up off the dribble from 15-20 ft, and shows glimpses of the ability to make perimeter jump shots from 3 point range too … Has a quick and high shot release that could become a consistent weapon with more repetition in the practice gym … Plays with finesse, and occasionally makes tough plays look very easy and effortless on the court at both ends … Adequate rebounder, did alright on the glass for a guy that often played at the top of a primarily zone defense in college … There’s no doubt teams will like that his physical skills allow him to potentially defend multiple positions on the court effectively, though this is something that would be a work in progress … Pretty decent timing as a weakside shot-blocker, put up 1.4 bpg as a Fr … A classic boom-or-bust type prospect, but it is important to remember he will only be 20 years old as a rookie with plenty of time to grow physically and polish his skill set … Shot a decent 76% from the FT line his Fr season, which only heightens the claims of his potential and natural ability as a shooter … Has one of the highest ceilings of any player in this year’s draft … Has intriguing scoring and shooting ability if he can improve upon his shot selection / strength …

Weaknesses: All things considered, McDaniels is a very raw prospect who struggled a bit more than most expected him to as a freshman … While those intrigued by him will point to his rangy frame and potential skill-set on the perimeter as a face-up forward, his detractors will point to the inconsistency, inefficiency and number of puzzling decisions he made on the court with the ball in his hands as a Fr as cause for concern … Seems to struggle, for whatever reason, to make the most of his abilities and often leaves you wanting more …. Not physically strong at all currently, would benefit from significantly adding weight to his 200 lb frame … A lot of his struggles seem to stem from his lack of physicality … While a solid athlete, McDaniels isn’t exactly twitchy and doesn’t have great explosiveness … Shows great ability and talent in spurts, but appears to lack the ability to sustain that level of focus and intensity … Struggles with things like finishing contested shots near the rim, post offense/defense, and playing through contact at the moment; should not be confused with a tough or physical player … Played nearly exclusively in zone defense in college, will be very green with NBA defensive concepts as a young player … Struggled to defend without fouling last season (3.3 fpg), while also demonstrating his raw defensive fundamentals and instincts by often reaching and not moving his feet or fouling players while opponents were well beyond the 3 point line … His overall feel for the game and shot selection needs improvement … He shot a lot of low percentage long 2s and didn’t hit them with any type of consistency … Must cut down on his turnovers (3.2 topg), often throwing lazy entry passes and has a habit of telegraphing what he intends to do … Doesn’t play without the ball particularly well, often is a complete non-factor in half court offense when plays aren’t run for him … Rarely put together complete games in college, usually only playing well in spurts and often disappearing during the deciding stretches … Lack of maturity. Will have questions about his attitude on the court, displayed poor body language and often seen sulking when things didn’t go his way … Possibly even more troubling, McDaniels picked up 5 technical fouls in his Fr season, which is only compounded by the fact that a “tech” in college is also both a personal and team foul … A headlining recruit for a young Washington team, but their season was a big disappointment relative to preseason expectations this past season …

Overall: Next in line of long, skilled wing forwards that evoke “shades of KD”, and at points in his high school career had some convinced that he could compete to be a top overall pick … A polarizing prospect, McDaniels is young and has the size and upside some NBA coaches will likely decide he’s worth taking a chance on developing … He had the size that jumped off the screen as a collegiate player, and he makes a few splashy plays that shows what he could become as a combo forward in the perimeter-oriented NBA … Still, he is a young player and he did not play with much consistency as a touted Fr for a Washington team that finished last place in the Pac 12…His attitude was most concerning though, as he often let his emotions get the best of him during their tough season…Still he is only 19 years old, and with his 6’10 frame and a budding face-up game he is someone who it would be easy for a coach to feel is worth stashing and developing as he improves his skills and adds strength …

Notes: Measured before season at Washington with a 6’11.5 wingspan and 8’11 standing reach … Native of Seattle, WA … Brother Jalen McDaniels plays in the G League and was the 52nd pick in the 2019 NBA draft …

Jorrye Nixon 9/16/20

Strengths: 6’11 versatile forward … Good size and length for position with a 6’11.5 wingspan and 8’11 standing reach … Good agility, mobility, and fluidity at his size. Good athleticism and body control. Finishes plays above the rim with ease … Good potential as a jump shooter, especially in catch and shoot situations. Shoots with no wasted motion and quick release. Scores from midrange and has range out to three. Scored 19.2 points per game while shooting 50% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2018 … Solid court vision and passing ability for his size … Good rebounder on both ends. Finished seventh over the Nike EYBL in 2018 with 9.3 rebounds per game with 3.1 per game coming on offense … Good versatility as a defender with his size, mobility, and coordination. Averaged 1.4 blocks per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 … Late bloomer with long-term upside …

Weaknesses: Still improving as a three-point shooter. Shot 29.2% 3P% at 4.1 attempts per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 … Half-court offense has a way to go, as well as playing off the ball. Offense can be predictable. Tends to settle for contested pull-ups even in transition. Can improve getting to the rim and scoring off the dribble … Must be more assertive, tends to blend in … Can get more action playing off the ball, tends to settle for spotting up on the perimeter … Can develop a post-game to utilize size mismatches around the basket … Solid passing ability but telegraphs passes at times and can limit the turnovers. Averaged 2.9 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 … Very skinny and has a lot of room to get stronger in both upper and lower body. Only weighed 182 pounds at the 2018 USA Minicamp in October of his senior year …

Outlook: Played in the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game … Scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in the 2019 Jordan Brand Classic … 2018 Nike EYBL Breakout Performer of the Year … 2018 All-EYBL First Team … 2018 All-Peach Jam: Third Team with 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and one block per game over five games … Brother of Jalen McDaniels …

Evan Tomes 8/6/19