Timberwolves Chris Finch: “Jaden McDaniels needs to improve”

What are the immediate plans for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022? After all, there is a fog of uncertainty descending upon the franchise, and it is making it difficult to know exactly which direction this team will be taking going forward. There is a new president, and a sense of new directions. So how do we make educated guesses?

Well, if you talk to Minnesota Timberwolves‘ head coach Chris Finch, a great deal of what comes next depends upon what happens now. And right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves needs small forward Jaden McDaniels “to have the best summer of his life.” So that pretty much takes the guesswork out of the equation, doesn’t it?

So what does McDaniels need to work on? Well, to put it bluntly, a little bit of everything. The 6-foot-9 185-pound forward is still learning how to put everything together on the basketball court. So much of the ‘improve’ will be along the lines of maturing quickly for this season.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

And as he matures, the Timberwolves will look for more consistent play. His shooting at the perimeter fell from 36.4 percent in 2020-21, to 31.7 percent in 2021-22. That has to get better. Also, he will need to become much better in distributing the basketball, feeding it to the open player, and ensuring proper spacing on the offensive side of the court.

As far as defense, Jaden McDaniels has some of the pieces. But most importantly, he will need to assert himself on the basketball court, make his presence felt, and be a bit more aggressive in terms of creating turnovers and guarding his man.

Tough love? You bet. The Timberwolves need McDaniels to step up for the team now, as they will need to determine quickly who will and who will not be moving forward with the team. That likely means that while McDaniels will play this year, the eyes of the coaching staff will be watching closely. His performance faded a bit as the 2021-22 season progressed. The team will expect McDaniels to play strong as the season moves along this year.

And the roster will likely include a strong competitor who can play any minutes McDaniels may lose if he fades again.