Milwaukee Bucks NBA Draft Prospect Watch: Jaden McDaniels

Weaknesses

At this point, where do we begin with looking at McDaniels’ current deficiencies upon entering the NBA?

For starters, there’s the obvious fact that McDaniels’ physical frame and lack of strength will need to be improved upon, especially under the watchful eye of an NBA strength and conditioning staff.

With such a thin, gangly body and limbs, McDaniels’ ability to finish at the rack or through traffic is greatly hampered by his poor physicality. Per Hoop-Math, McDaniels converted 55.9 percent of his scoring opportunities at the rim and he averaged just 4.7 free throw attempts per 40 minutes this season.

While McDaniels’ handle does stand as an intriguing asset in his skill set, his vision and overall decision making with the ball in his hands is a glaring weakness at this stage. Tallying a 25.6 usage percentage and a 0.65 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Huskies this season certainly backs that up.

With such a raw base of skills, size, and an alluring amount of athleticism and mobility, finding a team that is dedicated to overseeing all aspects of McDaniels’ development will be critical to whatever his future in the NBA holds.

And that potentially includes any red flags that stand out in his personality, which did lead him to lose his job in the Huskies’ starting lineup under head coach Mike Hopkins for the final 10 games of the season.