Jaden McDaniels' swing skill could make or break the Timberwolves' title hopes

Jaden McDaniels has been the ultimate glue guy for the Minnesota Timberwolves over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-9 forward is one of the league's best defensive stoppers capable of shutting down both elite guards and wings. McDaniels will turn 25 before the season starts, and many people believe he has another level to reach as a scorer.

Last season, the Washington product showed flashes of his offensive upside, averaging a career high 12.2 points and 14.7 points in the playoffs. The season turned around for McDaniels when the calendar flipped. He averaged 13.9 points and showed more aggression as a shot creator during the 2025 portion of the season. During the playoffs, McDaniels paired this aggression as a creator with knocking down the deep ball at a high rate, shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Interestingly, McDaniels has shot 42 percent from 3-point land for his career in the playoffs but just 34.8 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season. For the Wolves to maximize their title chances, McDaniels hitting triples at a more efficient rate will be key. If McDaniels doesn't shoot well from beyond the arc, he must be aggressive on offense at the very least.

The Wolves will be depending on McDaniels as a 3-point shooter

One of the more under-discussed parts of Nickeil Alexander-Walker leaving in free agency is how it impacts J-Mac. Losing their second-best on-ball defender will put even more pressure on McDaniels. Offensively, the Wolves will need more spot-up shooting and secondary creation. While the young players will help fill the void of NAW, they will also be counting on McDaniels more.

The Wolves ranked fifth in 3-pointers made last season, and they'll need to maintain this level of shooting to make another deep playoff run. However, outside of Anthony Edwards, the Wolves don't have much shooting in their starting lineup, especially with Mike Conley aging. As a result, the Wolves will be counting on McDaniels to hit 3s at an efficient clip.

McDaniels shooting at an efficient rate leads to winning

When McDaniels shot 40 percent or more from 3, the Wolves posted a stellar 25-9 record in the regular season. Conversely, they were 24-24 when he shot below 40 percent from beyond the arc. Shooting 40 percent or above from 3-point land in 34 games is certainly a positive sign. The problem is that McDaniels is inconsistent; in 22 games, he didn't hit a single outside shot. The numbers are clear: when McDaniels is shooting well, the Wolves are an elite team; when he's not, they are average.

McDaniels has shown flashes of being a consistent spot-up shooting threat. In addition to his playoff numbers, McDaniels shot 39.9 percent from beyond the arc in the 2022-23 season. For the Wolves to reach their title aspirations, McDaniels' 3-point shooting will be a crucial factor. Entering his age-25 season, and given the solid flashes he's shown, it's not far-fetched to expect McDaniels to develop a consistent 3-point shot.