McDaniels has ranked among the top 10 rookies in PER all season (not necessarily a difficult feat considering the struggles of the class) while sitting among the top 20 in the entire league in blocked shots (tops among guards/wings). But he's not the best story in this class just because he's playing well as a second-round pick.
Remember, he turned down guaranteed money so that he could be a free agent after just one year. It's looking like betting on himself was a wise choice.