2019 PBA Gov. Cup Imports (Grades!): Who is better, KJ McDaniels or Dez Wells?



TNT Ka Tropa will once again bring a legit NBA veteran into the PBA. KJ McDaniels is a former teammate of Terrence Jones although they have a big difference other than size. On the other hand San Miguel will rely on Dez Wells, not an import with pedigree but has a good resume.


Did they make the right import choices? It is time to give our grades.

TNT - KJ McDaniels
KJ played 148 games in the NBA and he was the 32nd pick of the 2014 NBA draft. The biggest selling point of KJ is his athleticism. In terms of athleticism, he is in  the upper echelon of the NBA. Just imagine what he can do in the PBA with that athleticism?

The biggest drawback of KJ is that he is not a consistent shooter from beyond the arc. That means, they will surely play a different scheme around him than what they did with Terrence Jones. The second big question about him is about playmaking. He has not been a playmaker in the NBA and even in the G League. He should pass more in TNT to maximize their scheme.
Grade: B

SMB - Dez Wells
Even though he is not a legit NBA veteran like Chris McCullough, Dez brings important things to the table for the Beermen. One of the biggest selling point of Wells is his basketball IQ and he was a proven winner in college. He combines his good intellect with very good athleticism that makes a credible player on both ends, especially on defense.

If his defensive ability will meet the hype, Wells will be a perfect fit for San Miguel. Wells averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 20% 3FG per game. He is also not a shooter, which could be a problem but could be solved with the right scheme.
Grade: B


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