When you’re a player that has the size of a big man, and the skill of a guard— a lot is expected of you. In the NBA, athletes such as Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are examples of skilled forwards who dominate multiple facets of the game. At the high school level, Jaden McDaniels can do the same.
McDaniels, a 6-foot-10 forward at Federal Way High School in Washington, is the type of player that many college coaches covet. He has the potential to one day grace the court in the NBA, and due to his high level of play, McDaniels is rated the No. 6 prospect in the Class of 2019 by ESPN.
One of the most overlooked assets in his game is how everybody flourishes on the court around him. “When I see my teammates turn it up, that’s a good thing. It’s not just me on the team, I want to see my guys eat too,” McDaniels said.
On his defensive intensity, he added: “I just like to stop the man I’m guarding and just lock him down, just play the best D I can. I can play D on both sides of the ball.”
As a senior at Federal Way, Jaden led the Eagles to a 26-3 record and a third-place finish in the Washington Class 4A state tournament. McDaniels also averaged 23.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. For his efforts, he gained several honors such as:
First-Team All-State (second straight season gaining that honor)
Most Valuable Player of the North Puget Sound League
Class 4A Player of the Year
And last, but certainly not least:
Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Washington
Photo: Brandon Hill, B.Hill Photography
When asked what player he emulates defensively, McDaniels replied, “I’ve watched a lot of Kawhi [Leonard], he really plays good D, so I like to compare it to that.”
When asked if there was any other NBA pro that he models his game after, he added: “Just KD.”
Because of their similar play-style, McDaniels often gets compared to the 10-time NBA All-Star. That’s a pretty big compliment for a high school senior, who’s still over a year away from reaching the professional ranks.
When asked if he’s tired of being compared to Durant, McDaniels replied, “It’s whatever, it’s cool at the same time, but just being compared to an NBA player, it’s like, not everybody has the opportunity to be compared to KD.”
Photo: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
When it comes to his college recruitment, McDaniels is one of the most coveted prospects in the nation, as he is still unsigned. McDaniels plans to wait until the spring signing period to decide where he will attend school.
The final five choices, which he made public on Septempber 24th, are UCLA, Washington, Texas, San Diego State and Kentucky.
Jaden also has an older brother, Jalen McDaniels, who is a talented player in his own right.
Jalen (who also stands at 6-foot-10) is a sophomore forward at San Diego State. He averaged 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season, and is projected to be a second-round draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft (if he chooses to declare for the draft).
On the prospect of playing with his brother, the younger McDaniels added, “Playing with my brother, that would be fine, because I only played with him one year in high school, so to play with him again, that would be super-cool, just both of us on the court.”
Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports
If there is another school that many people believe is a favorite to land McDaniels, it’s Kentucky, due to the team’s continued success and penchant for attracting players that wind up leaving after just one season in the blue and white.
When asked about his relationship with the Wildcats’ coaching staff, McDaniels replied, “It’s good. I have a good relationship with [assistant coach] Kenny Payne, he’s a really good dude. They always check in to see how I’m doing and stuff like that.”
Photo: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Washington is another heavy contender after landing fellow McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Stewart.
Making a college choice is something that a player must not take lightly. When choosing a school, it must fit well with the athlete’s play-style and skill set. However, the question many people fail to ask the prospective student-athlete is this: “What does a potential school need to have for you to go there?”
McDaniels answered that by saying, “It’s just, I just have to have a good relationship with the players I’m going to come in with and the coaches. That’s big for me, having a good relationship with people.”
Like many other young athletes, McDaniels is also an avid sneaker fan.
“On the court, the Kyrie 4’s,” McDaniels said when asked what sneaker he likes to wear on the hardwood.
“I like them, real comfortable. I like those a lot. When you get them broken in, they’re good. I’d wear them every game if I could.”
Photo: Brandon Hill, B.Hill Photography
Over the next several weeks, McDaniels will showcase his talents at four different All-Star events.
The first being on Wednesday at the McDonald’s All-American Game in Atlanta. The second is next week at the Big Baller Brand All-American Game in Las Vegas, followed by the Jordan Brand Classic on April 20th (which is also in Las Vegas), and finally the fourth and final event will be the Iverson Classic in Souderton, Pennsylvania on April 26th.
In-between that time, McDaniels will decide where he’s going to school. By this time next year, he hopes to be playing in the NCAA Tournament, attempting to lead his team to the Final Four and a national championship.
Wherever McDaniels lands, he will make an immediate impact due to his high-level of skill and finesse on the court.
Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
When asked where he sees himself in the next five years, McDaniels replied, “Five years, big house, paying for everything for my family, taking care of them, just making sure my family’s good.”
That’s the dream for Jaden McDaniels, which means the journey isn’t over. Now is the time to fulfill that goal by working hard to get to the podium at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and hear Adam Silver call his name on Draft Night.
If he excels in that, then the sky is the limit.
David Cordova is a contributor for Mars Reel based in New York City. You can follow him @davidarsenio10
