Jalen McDaniels knows what he doesn’t know, and that has made him so good for Hornets
Listen intensely to what you’re instructed.
If you don’t understand, ask questions until you do.
Don’t stray from what your bosses need.
That all sounds simple, but if you’re an NBA rookie flooded with information with stakes high, it can overwhelm.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Jalen McDaniels late in the 2019 draft with no expectations he’d contribute as a rookie. That makes the last 11 games noteworthy even as the team focuses on giving minutes to younger players.
Forward McDaniels has been the first player off the bench of late. He’s had a 10-rebound game and a five-assist game. He’s shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. Those numbers suggest he’s a keeper, and he has done enough to impress coach James Borrego.
“We’ve said, ‘Here’s your role, here’s what we need from you. Go execute it’. And he’s doing that right now,” Borrego said.
McDaniels was the 52nd pick (out of 60) in June. A 6-foot-10 forward out of San Diego State, the Hornets saw potential in his 7-foot wingspan and defensive ability. However, general manager Mitch Kupchak tempered expectations, saying he anticipated McDaniels playing mostly, if not entirely, for the G-League Greensboro Swarm as a rookie.
But the Hornets buying out the contracts of veterans Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist created opportunity. McDaniels took full advantage in a way that dramatically accelerated his development.
“I know when I mess up something, and they tell me about it in a game, the next day I’ll just do it repeatedly the right way,” McDaniels said. “Like, ‘Oh, we just went over that, and he did it. That’s good carryover.’
“I feel like I have good retention. I just hear it, see how it is, and I do it: I guess that’s a talent.”
It’s no given young players will process NBA nuances at a rapid pace. Noah Vonleh, the Hornets’ lottery pick in 2014 (ninth overall) was traded after one season in part because he struggled absorbing concepts. Malik Monk, the 11th pick in 2017, was just finding how to be efficient as a pro 2 1/2 seasons into his career when he was suspended under the NBA’s anti-drug policy last month.
Keep asking questions
Other than having length and a reputation for defense, Borrego knew nothing about McDaniels when the Hornets drafted him.
The Hornets shipped McDaniels off to Greensboro — he was with the parent club for just three of their first 51 games — but in the little interaction Borrego had, he noticed a curiosity that is valuable.
“He absorbs information, and he wants information,” Borrego said. “He’s not just hearing you, he’s taking it in. Thinking about it. Most of the time, he’s not making that mistake again. And if he doesn’t (grasp something), he asks a second time or a third time.
“Also, it’s (accepting) the role. When you tell a player, ‘This is your role,’ and he does it, that’s coachable. They’re not trying to be something that they’re not or something we don’t need right now.”
McDaniels said he’s never been afraid to speak up: “You’ve got to slow it down; you can’t mess up and then ask questions. Then, you might not go back in.”
Adapting isn’t new; he didn’t come out of high school as such a star that teams were always built around him.
“As a redshirt freshman at San Diego State, this kind of reminds me of my role there,” McDaniels said. “Doing the little things, playing defense. Playing with a high-motor is the No. 1 (priority) and bringing that energy off the bench.”
Stronger, better shooter
The Hornets have improved defensively, as evidenced by upsets of the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets, and holding the Milwaukee Bucks fewer than 100 points.
Borrego views McDaniels as part of that direction, along with Miles Bridges, Cody Martin and P.J. Washington — young players with the length to be disruptive both in passing lanes and at the rim.
But McDaniels’ thin-bordering-on-frail body type must change.
“He’s got the length, but we need more size — to bulk him up. I think I can post him up right now,” Borrego joked.
McDaniels weighs 205 pounds, but that’s 15 more than he weighed last season at San Diego State. He understands the issue and is committed to a weight-training program.
“Arms, legs — a lot of basic things, but all different exercises to get my body right,” McDaniels said.
If McDaniels gets stronger and refines his offense, he can join Devonte Graham and Martin as second-round gems Kupchak has discovered since he took over two years ago. He’s a long way from a finished product, but his approach has Borrego sold.
“If a player understands his role and wants to be coached,” Borrego said, “I can live with that.”
