Timberwolves: The brilliant flashes of Jaden McDaniels
By Brennan Sims
At 6-foot-10 with a Mr. Fantastic-like 7-foot-0 wingspan, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels suffocates offensive players when he’s in their vicinity defensively. Teams that employ lineups with every player being capable of grabbing the rebound and pushing the pace are at an advantage.
It makes the game easier when point guards don’t have to worry about coming back to get an outlet pass; they can just fill the lane and seize fast break opportunities.
McDaniels has no problem grabbing and going. He shot 50% from three on 3.3 attempts in the 2022 playoff series vs the Memphis Grizzles. If McDaniels can build on that, he will be a menacing two-way force in the league.
Defensive Tenacity
McDaniels is a name to watch for All-Defense honors next season. NBA awards are based on team success more often than not (there are exceptions). With Rudy Gobert’s arrival, the Timberwolves will more than likely finish higher than 13th defensively, as Gobert has anchored six top-10 defenses throughout his Utah Jazz tenure.
Team success should help McDaniels’ All-Defense case, but his talent on the unappreciated side of the court is why he should be on your radar. He uses his elastic wingspan to crowd offensive players. Don’t pick up the ball while he’s guarding you. Once he presses up and lets his teammate know the ball is dead, it’s going to be extremely difficult making passes over him.
You aren’t going to beat McDaniels by blowing by him with your first step. His ridiculous speed and recovery time allow him to get back into plays. His wingspan is relevant here again because it helps him contest shots further away from challengers. He doesn’t need to be so close to the scorer to deter or affect their shot attempt.