The pressure is on Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. Is he becoming a diamond as a result? Well, I’m not one to overreact to off-season tournaments and exhibition play, but McDaniels latest performance certainly could get someone over-stoked over his 2022-23 potential.
We know that the pressure dial for Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Jaden McDaniels has been turned up this season. While it could be inferred from the fact that the Timberwolves starting lineup is all but locked in with PG D’Angelo Russell, SG Anthony Edwards, SF Jaden McDaniels, PF Karl-Anthony Towns, and C Rudy Gobert, it is even more obvious than that.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch called him out directly as someone who needs to show great improvement this summer. So how does a performance of 52 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists sound? Like he’s on the right track, right?
That performance happened on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at The CrawsOver, a pro-am league created by former NBA player Jamal Crawford and based in Seattle, Washington.
Jaden McDaniels BALLED OUT in his hometown of Seattle dropping a game-high 52 POINTS in @thecrawsover!@Jmcdaniels7: 52 PTS, 11 REB pic.twitter.com/DgqB2caocN
— NBA (@NBA) July 31, 2022
Not bad for one game, eh?
Okay, so what is The CrawsOver?
Formerly known as the Seattle Pro-Am Basketball League, The CrawsOver is an annual very competitive summer pro-am league that mixes the spectrum of basketball talent, ranging from current and former professional, international, minor league, and even collegiate players. The league was founded by former NBA veteran Jamal Crawford, a Seattle native.
An event is an annual event, only failing to occur in 2020 due to the health risks with the surging COVID-19 health risks. Competition resumed in 2021, and this year is the second annual post-coronavirus occasion for the event.
So, who was the competition? Well, a number of NBA stars are scheduled to participate, including 2022 NBA stars Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. But McDaniels numbers stood up well to the competition.
Paolo Banchero: 50 PTS, 9 REB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 31, 2022
Jaden McDaniels: 52 PTS, 11 REB
Chet Holmgren: 34 PTS, 14 REB, 8 BLK
(via @shobasketball, @thecrawsover) pic.twitter.com/uJ2iMG91hj
Missed the action? You are in luck. You can catch the game streaming at this link here. Bring your popcorn, because it’s a 1:15:28 video.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Seattle Pro-Am Basketball league has historically witnessed some eyepopping numbers, and McDaniels performance simply continues that long-standing tradition.
But if you needed evidence that McDaniels is taking the call to improve seriously? I think you’ve witnessed your first clue.