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After the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Brooklyn Nets, sharpshooter Georges Niang praised Jalen McDaniels for how well he’s played in his playoff debut.
“I think Jalen has been spectacular,” Niang told Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “To be tossed into a group that is in a win-now mode after being in Charlotte, no offense to them, and having (to) devour the details every single day focusing on the winning habits. Not saying that he didn’t have any already, but as a team, every little thing that we do is focused towards winning and winning a championship.”
Niang specified where McDaniels has really helped the Sixers, and why they needed someone like him.
“He’s done just a great job of coming in and using his size and using his ability to defend and finish at the rim to really propel us over the top,” Niang said. “That was something that we had been missing. Someone that can play on both ends of the floor, and he’s been spectacular.”
Niang finished by praising McDaniels for how well he has handled the pressure since coming over to the Sixers.
“Credit to him because I couldn’t imagine being a young kid, traded, then his real pressure in Philadelphia, these fans will let you hear it,” Niang said. “The media let you hear it. So for him to come in and fit in with us, I guess, speaks volumes to who he is and how focused he is on being a winner.”
In four games, McDaniels averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field.
Jalen McDaniels Reveals Message From Doc Rivers
After McDaniels made his playoff debut as a pro in Game 1, he talked about playoff atmosphere while also revealing what head coach Doc Rivers told him while he was in the game.
“Honestly, the playoffs is way different,” McDaniels told Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “Like everybody says, just like the intensity of the game. Everything, every detail matters. I think I did something like little, and Doc (Rivers) was like, ‘Hey, like that can’t happen,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re right. It can’t’. So it’s locking in. That’s the big thing in the playoffs.”
McDaniels hadn’t played any playoff minutes in his three and a half years with the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Sixers at the trade deadline.
James Harden Singles Out Paul Reed
Unlike McDaniels, Reed has seen playoff action before this postseason. However, he got his first playoff start against the Nets following Joel Embiid‘s absence, where he put up 10 points and 15 rebounds while shooting five-for-10 from the field.
After the game, James Harden praised Reed for his effort and let the center know what he could do better during the game.
“He listens. He plays hard. So you got to give him credit for that,” Harden said in his postgame press conference, per House of Highlights. “In the first half, he was getting really good offensive rebounds. He was just trying to go up and over to make difficult shots. I keep telling him, ‘Obviously, if you have a putback layup, then take it, but if you feel like you don’t have a layup, get the ball out, we can get a better shot’. In the second half, he did a better job of that, and that generated more opportunities for our guards.”
