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The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets' regular-season finalé was as inconsequential as any NBA game can get. The starting five and key bench players from both teams were resting with their playoff spots locked up. One key development from the end of the Sixers season is that Jalen McDaniels continued to play some of his best basketball since being traded to Philly.
As Joel Embiid, James Harden and other key Sixers players rest up for the playoffs, McDaniels has had more responsibility and has looked pretty good. Against a healthy Atlanta Hawks team, he tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals to help the Sixers snatch a win. He then closed out the regular season with eight points, three boards, two assists and two steals in just under 18 minutes.
“We got a lot of young guys that have a promising future, a lot of young guys that can play. They just have guys in front of them and it's very difficult for them to get out on the floor,” Rivers said when discussing the key takeaways from the last two games. On top of naming health as a key benefit, he gave some major props to McDaniels.
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“Jalen McDaniels played 17 minutes. He's just so effective when he's on the floor,” the Sixers coach said. “He does everything: rebounds, runs the floor, can handle the ball, can make threes. He literally does every single thing for your team. He's young and with his length, he's got a bright future — and you can see it. I think one of our coaches said it at halftime, his talent jumped off the court when you're just looking at the guys on the floor. So, that's good.”
Alongside Embiid and Harden, McDaniels is needed to defend perimeter players, move smartly without the ball and shoot threes. After a slow start as a shooter upon joining the Sixers, he shot 6-12 from deep in his last five games when Embiid and/or Harden played. Although he's not one to fire up shots at will, he has been much more efficient as of late, which is crucial for Philly.
When the Sixers and Nets start playing meaningful basketball at the end of this week, McDaniels won't have to be a go-to scorer. But he will still be relied on for defense and supplemental scoring as Philly pursues a title.
