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Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels was a better pick than Obi Toppin

By Dylan Jackson

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 31: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks during the game at Target Center on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 102-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 31: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks during the game at Target Center on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 102-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 11: Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves . (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 11: Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves . (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels was a better pick than Obi Toppin because of his complementary offensive skillset.

Jaden McDaniels has the perfect offensive skill set that teams want from a complementary, two-way forward.

He can hit the open 3-point shot, as well as score inside. He’s a low-volume-high-efficiency player – someone that can play alongside stars such as Towns, Russell, and Edwards but still find a way to stand out – impacting winning from a variety of aspects.

Obi Toppin came into the NBA as someone that could act almost as a hub offensively. He had the whole package – shooting, interior scoring, as well as some playmaking ability. This year, however, a lot of that has gone away. McDaniels is averaging four points, two rebounds, and 0.4 assists. His playmaking hasn’t really shined in any stretch of games – and his shooting, to be frank, has not been good.

Toppin’s shooting, currently at 29.3-percent on the year, has actually gotten worse as the year has progressed. In the past 25 games, Toppin is scoring at a clip of 28-percent from three, with 19 of those games without a made 3-pointer.

McDaniels, by contrast, is shooting 37-percent from the 3-point line, albeit his free throw shooting is worse than Toppin’s.

McDaniels also has much, much more room for development offensively, as he is two years younger than Toppin, with a frame that could still improve. He also brings more versatility, finding more minutes per game – although again – take this with a grain of salt as the Knicks are far, far better team than the Timberwolves.

McDaniels splits his time 80-20 at power forward and small forward, whereas Toppin spends 99-percent of his minutes at power forward, according to Basketball Reference.

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