Philadelphia 76ers: K.J. McDaniels Is the NBA's Next Defensive Superstar

There's not much to cheer about for the Philadelphia 76ers these days. The team is last in the league at 2-18, it lost 17 straight games to start the season and management is purposely tanking in order to accumulate draft picks.

However, in a year full of failure, a beam of hope does shine. The beam exists in the form of rookie shooting guard K.J. McDaniels, whose performance is providing fans a reason to express excitement for the future.

Philadelphia obtained the steal of the 2014 draft when it selected McDaniels with the 32nd pick. His overall play has been outstanding, as the 21-year-old ranks third among all rookies in scoring (10.1 PPG) and sixth among all rookies in rebounding (4.0 RPG), according to InsideHoops.com.

But where the Clemson product has truly impressed is on defense. In fact, his suffocating man defense and phenomenal mixture of awareness and hustle show potential for him to become the NBA's next defensive superstar.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

McDaniels' man-to-man defense has proven nothing short of superb, and his build deserves much of the credit. Standing at 6'6" and boasting a lengthy 6'11.25" wingspan, the 2-guard is capable of locking down multiple different positions on the floor.

His impeccable athleticism is noteworthy as well, as this allows him to successfully block his man's path and keep pace with quick players on the wing.

Quite frankly, McDaniels' defensive stats are telling. Through 20 games this season—according to NBA.com—opponents have generally shot 4.4 percent lower than their average when facing him.

The percentage differs from each specific area on the floor, but one thing remains constant: Opponents always shoot worse when defended by McDaniels.

Check out the table below and see for yourself (or click the NBA.com link above):

	GP	DFG%	AFG%	Diff.
Overall	20	41.0	45.4	-4.4%
Three-pointers	20	34.8	35.5	-0.7%
Two-pointers	20	43.3	49.0	-5.7%
Less than six feet	20	44.8	60.0	-15.2%
Less than 10 feet	20	42.9	54.5	-11.6%
Greater than 15 feet	20	36.8	38.1	-1.3%

While this is all impressive, the two areas that stand out the most are his opponents' percentages within 10 feet of the basket. Players on average shoot 11.6 percent worse against McDaniels within 10 feet, and a whopping 15.2 percent worse within six feet.

These are both incredibly huge drops, especially considering these are closer and easier shot attempts.

It is clear McDaniels' man-to-man D is dominant. He holds opponents to significantly lower shooting percentages while on the court, and his lethal mixture of athleticism and build allows him to consistently prove bothersome.

Remember, he's only a rookie. If the 21-year-old shows steady improvement, he boasts potential to transform into the best perimeter defender in the league.

USA TODAY Sports

But defense isn't all about just keeping track of one man. To truly be successful, a player must remain aware of all five offenders on the floor. In addition, one must continuously hustle.

Thankfully for McDaniels, he does both exceptionally well.

So well, in fact, it has led him to accumulate a grand total of 30 blocks on the season. That's equal to 1.5 blocks per game, which not only leads all rookies, but it leads all guards in the NBA, according to NBA.com.

McDaniels packs his opponents when either hustling in transition or playing help-side defense. His awareness allows him to read offensive attacks and position himself in the half court, and his willingness to get back on the break helps him reach striking distance in a matter of seconds.

Watch and be amazed as McDaniels displays his capabilities in the following videos.

First, his help-side D:

Second, his transition defense:

Truly remarkable.

However, a block isn't always the end result of McDaniels' awareness and hustle. Most of the time, he will simply make an attempt difficult for an attacker or cut off a runner on the break.

And of course, it will oftentimes lead to the same result: a defensive stop.

The 76ers are awful, and 2014-15 is already a lost cause. But with McDaniels on the roster—along with other young pieces such as reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams and rookie center Nerlens Noel—the future in Philly can be bright.

As long as McDaniels' defense continues to evolve, Philadelphia may have the NBA's next defensive superstar on its roster.

Josh Haar is an NBA Contributor for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JHaarNBA.