Minnesota Timberwolves defending Jaden McDaniels NBA All-Defense candidacy

The Minnesota Timberwolves have never waivered on what this team has seen in forward Jaden McDaniels. Time and time again, the team had an opportunity to cash in on the perceived value of McDaniels, whether in the lengthy negotiations of a potential NBA trade or by establishing a starting lineup. With each decision point, the Timberwolves ultimately made a decision to stand behind young Jaden McDaniels, believing not just in his ability to compete in the NBA, but to completely dominate in terms of shutting down opposing scorers.

And so far, their confidence and trust have been validated time and time again.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Minnesota Timberwolves have created a webpage that is an entertaining way to campaign for forward Jaden McDaniels to make the NBA All-Defense team. I highly recommend checking it out, as it is an ingenious means of realizing exactly what McDaniels dominating defense has meant for the Timberwolves this year.

McDaniels making things happen

The Minnesota Timberwolves roster has struggled to overcome injury and adversity all season, but McDaniels has been one of the most available and durable players throughout the season. He has competed and started in 77 of the team’s 80 games so far, and he continues to absorb more and more playing minutes.

As a result, he is averaging a respectable 12.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He also averages one block and nearly one steal per game. Of course, the Timberwolves consider all of these statistics from McDaniels to be icing on the cake. The team believes that Jaden Mcdaniels’ bread-and-butter is locking onto an opposing player and making it incredibly difficult for that player to score.

If you want to see evidence of just how effective he can be, just check out that Timberwolves website. The site showcases 10 of the NBA’s top scorers and contrasts how they perform against Jaden McDaniels versus their normal performance, and some of the differences are quite surprising.

Right now, McDaniels is under contract for the Timberwolves through the 2023-24 season. But the Timberwolves are pushing hard to get McDaniels NBA All-Defense honors right now. If that happens, the cost of extending Jaden McDaniels will go up significantly. While that is true, he will still be worth the investment.