Jalen McDaniels viewed as an A-plus deadline addition for Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers sent Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers in a four-team deadline day deal that allowed the Sixers to acquire Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets and two second-round picks.
In his first two games, McDaniels has made an impact for the Sixers. He has been terrific on the perimeter defensively and he has done what they hoped he would do on the offensive end: provide athleticism and knock down open 3s.
The McDaniels addition has been viewed as a smart one for the Sixers. Bleacher Report has given them an A-plus for the move:
The Sixers will need him to nudge up his sub-33-percent three-point clip, and his blend of turnarounds, fadeaways, floaters and runners is a little unsettling, but he’s made strides with his handle and on-ball decision-making.
Philadelphia doesn’t need someone to generate from-scratch scoring, but McDaniels can grab-and-go on the break and should be able to advance his pump-and-drive game inside the Sixers offense.
Couple his size and multi-level help defense with this brand of “any offensive upside whatsoever,” and you have someone infinitely more playable for this team in the postseason than Thybulle.
The Sixers must work to get McDaniels up to speed before the playoffs in April, but it has been a good start for him.
