Ranking the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 3 best defenders

3. Jaden McDaniels

Entering his third year in the league, Jaden McDaniels has already shown tremendous defensive upside in his young career so far. As a large wing, he has the physical tools to wrestle with bigs while being skilled enough to step out to the perimeter to handle smaller players in pick-and-roll as well.

One of the things that make Jaden so effective is his lateral quickness. When offensive players attempt to blow by him, he’s quick and shifty enough to make getting past him quite difficult. And even if he is beaten off the dribble, his length allows him to still be a threat to block or effect shots from other angles.

When opponents attempted a shot within six feet of the basket while Jaden McDaniels was their primary defender last season, they shot just 51.1%, with only three other players having a better chance of getting a stop. McDaniels has the chance to become one of the better wing defenders in the league, and having the next player on our list as a teammate shouldn’t hurt either.