Doc Rivers Enthused About Jalen McDaniels After Sixers Debut

By sending out Matisse Thybulle and a second-round pick to Portland in a four-team trade, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets. The trade was official on Thursday, and by Friday, McDaniels was suited up and ready to go in South Philly.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers floated the notion that McDaniels might play against the New York Knicks on Friday night. Four quarters came and went, and the veteran wing never debuted. After the game, he made it clear that he was ready to play when Rivers was ready to roll him out.

“I don’t know [if I’ll play Saturday], it’s up to Coach, but I’m ready to go,” McDaniels said on Friday night. Shortly after, the Sixers traveled to New York as they were set to take on the Brooklyn Nets for the second night of a back-to-back. As expected, McDaniels played.

The young veteran checked in during the first quarter for four minutes. He wrapped up the first half with seven minutes of playing time. He picked up another quick four-minute shift in the third quarter and even received some crunch time minutes by getting issued four minutes in the fourth quarter.

After witnessing McDaniels’ first set of action with the 76ers, Doc Rivers feels enthused about what the former Hornets wing can bring to the table.

“He’s gonna help us,” Rivers told reporters on Saturday. “He’s gonna really help us. His length, his rebounding, he’s gonna be big for us. You can see it. Very happy with a guy who didn’t know what the hell we were doing. He literally didn’t know. Offense, defense, his head, you can see guys screaming at him, go to this spot, get to this spot, he’s gonna be really good for us.”

In 15 minutes of action, McDaniels put up four shots from the field. He converted on two of his attempts, which featured an Alley-Oop dunk and a shot from beyond the arc. In total, McDaniels collected five points, four rebounds, and one assist while being quite active on the defensive end of the floor in the Sixers’ win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.