Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Newest Nets Update: The Present and Future of Marks’ Recent Additions

By Christian Milcos

Mar 19, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Nerlens Noel (3) defends against Brooklyn Nets guard K.J. McDaniels (14) during second half at Barclays Center. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 111-104. fMandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Nerlens Noel (3) defends against Brooklyn Nets guard K.J. McDaniels (14) during second half at Barclays Center. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 111-104. fMandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Mar 16, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard K.J. McDaniels (14) fouls New York Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn (9) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard K.J. McDaniels (14) fouls New York Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn (9) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

K.J. McDaniels

After taking a week to become acclimated in Brooklyn, McDaniels has burst onto the scene over the past few games and has made very good use of his minutes. Unlike Nicholson, he took advantage of limited minutes and worked his way up to a spot in Atkinson’s rotation.

He has headed what Bill Simmons deemed on a recent podcast as “The Brooklyn Renaissance.” His guest on that episode, Kevin O’Connor, proceeded to speak about his fondness of McDaniels, which dated back to the 2013 NBA Draft.

MUST READ: Looking at 2017 Free Agent Point Guards

The Nets have been a marginally better team overall when McDaniels plays extended minutes. Atkinson’s squad is .500 when the Clemson product logs at least 18 minutes, and in these games, the Nets have also obtained a fourth of their wins.

McDaniels’ athleticism on both sides of the ball cannot be understated. He measured a nearly identical standing vertical leap to two-time Slam Dunk Contest Champion, Zach LaVine, at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine. The 6-foot-6 wing also secured a higher standing and max vertical leap than Aaron Gordon, also at the 2014 combine. This kind of athleticism hasn’t gone unnoticed with the Nets and has allowed him to keep up with superb wing scorers defensively.

MUST READ: Nets’ Small Ball Beginning to Match Atkinson’s Vision

He adds to an already-impressive Nets stock of athletic wings, which a team can never have too many of in the modern-day NBA. He, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Caris LeVert, Isaiah Whitehead, Dinwiddie and Goodwin form a formidable defensive tandem. Brooklyn has held opponents to under 100 points in four out of seven games in which McDaniels has played major minutes. While this defensive restoration is in a very early stage, Marks has done an adequate job of laying the groundwork to vastly improve on that side of the floor next season.

McDaniels has a year and change left on his current three-year, $10 million contract. All signs point to this being a good price next season, but his long-term future is a bit murky. Depending on how he performs next season, McDaniels will either be due for a big payday or could be looking for a new NBA home.

Will he be able to sustain his impactful play in the future? Will his shooting woes come back to haunt him at some point? Will Atkinson even have room in the rotation for him next season? These questions shall be answered next season and will greatly impact his long-term future with the franchise, but all signs so far point to McDaniels being a fantastic pickup.