Daryl Morey explains Sixers’ belief that Jalen McDaniels is a ‘hidden gem’
CAMDEN, N.J. Daryl Morey did not shy away from acknowledging Friday that projection played a big role in his one move before this year’s trade deadline.
He sounded quite confident in how the Sixers go about forecasting, too.
Asked about the team dealing away Matisse Thybulle and acquiring Jalen McDaniels as part of a four-team trade, Morey emphasized his belief that the former Hornets wing will be the better player to have in the postseason.
It was a little bit easier to keep him on the floor, if that makes sense, he said.
Why exactly is that the case?
I think the constraints, Morey said. I think its pretty straightforward. If youre making it harder for the team on offense, I think it makes it harder to keep you on the floor defensively.
Thybulles offensive weaknesses did indeed hurt at times in the playoffs. Swarming Joel Embiid with help defenders is now the norm, and Thybulles presence on the court tended to clarify for Sixers opponents which role player they should be fine with leaving open for jumpers.
Anyone whos followed the Sixers the last few years has understood those concerns, as well as all the scintillating defensive talents and flashes of offensive growth on the other side of the equation. Whats new here is McDaniels, a 25-year-old whos never appeared in a playoff game. Morey thinks hell do well on a competitive team, which the 15-41 Hornets have not been this season.
We really think Jalens sort of a hidden gem, Morey said. Sometimes when teams struggle that much, there are players who really just need an opportunity to show what they can do on a better team. We feel like Jalens a player like that. Obviously well see how he plays down the stretch going into the playoffs.
As for what else motivated the trade, Morey was firm when questioned about the Sixers dropping below the luxury tax threshold.
The focus was just make the team better, he said. We feel like we did that. I think as part of my job, I have to look at the bigger picture and we have a lot of guys were going to re-sign. The moves we did both improve the team now and make it easier to keep this team together going forward.
The Sixers have one open roster spot, though Morey noted that doesnt necessarily mean theyll make a single pickup and then be done on the buyout market.
Some of that flexibility that weve got allows us to add multiple buyouts, if they come, he said. Were actively looking at that. Nothing to announce yet, but were actively looking at several players right now.
While Morey avoided committing to backup center as the specific position the Sixers will address in the buyout market, he understands continued concerns about the teams play without Embiid.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers this season have a plus-9.0 net rating (excluding garbage time) with Embiid on the floor. In non-Embiid minutes, they sport a minus-4.0 net rating.
I think we have a lot of versatility with the lineup, Morey said. (Head coach Doc Rivers) does a very good figuring it out. Just to be fair, I think what most people worry about is when Joel is off (the court). … I think were going to improve that. That hasnt been as good as we want it to be.
Clearly, one avenue for improvement would be McDaniels enhancing the Sixers second unit. Morey said McDaniels has starter potential and that the Sixers who have his Bird rights would like to re-sign him this offseason. However, the hope for now is simply that hell be a strong complementary piece.
I think hes what every team is looking for especially with the offensive firepower we have as a long, athletic defender, Morey said. We felt like we needed defense. Hes gritty, can run the floor in transition.
And then offensively I know Doc was just talking to him the game will be a lot easier for him. A lot of his shots were very difficult playing with (Charlotte). And with Joel and James (Harden) both bringing attention and great passing, the offensive side will be a lot easier for him.
At a basic level, McDaniels three-point shooting track record is not encouraging. Hes at 32.2 percent this year and 34.2 percent in his career.
After drafting Tyrese Maxey in 2020, Morey expressed similar shooting optimism. He believed the Kentuckys products numbers would improve with the Sixers and that his 29.2 percent mark in one college season didnt accurately capture his ability.
We spend a lot of time on that, Morey said. Obviously shooting, you could argue, is half the game something around that. We spend a lot of time on figuring out which players will, in a different environment, shoot better. We feel comfortable (with McDaniels). I think hes had a little bit of a down year. We dont really stress about high 30s, low 30s, stuff like that.
We look at their mix of shots, how open they are, how well they do if an average player got that same mix of shots. And Jalen looks, especially given his defensive prowess, like hell be a solid shooter in this league.
Though McDaniels wont debut Friday night against the Knicks, the Sixers will see soon enough whether their projection comes to be.
With 29 regular-season games to go, they sit third in the Eastern Conference and have the NBAs most difficult remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
I think weve put ourselves in position to win the title, Morey said. Thats what you want to do when you get to this point. I think weve made an upgrade, were hoping to continue to make some upgrades, and we want to be playing our best basketball going into the playoffs. We have a very tough stretch in March and I think that stretch should help us get sort of battle-hardened as we go into the playoffs.
