The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a fantastic 9-3 start and are currently on a five-game win streak without Anthony Edwards. Understandably so: LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu have received most of the praise for their role in the Wolves' success. Ball has been fantastic as a first option over these past five games, and Dosunmu is playing like an All-Star. Furthermore, Jonathan Kuminga has received a ton of flowers for adjusting to a complementary role.
Amid all of this, I feel like Jaden McDaniels has gotten lost in the shuffle. But this shouldn't be the case. McDaniels has been ultra-consistent and made a massive two-way impact.
Since Ant has gone down, McDaniels is putting up 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists. McDaniels hasn't had a massive statistical leap (he averaged 15 points in the first four games of the season), but he's been steady as heck on offense all while playing superb defense.
Jaden McDaniels has been a two-way weapon for the Timberwolves
All season long, McDaniels has been super consistent on offense. Knock on wood if you'd like, but so far he has yet to have a game where he's scored single-digit points. In fact, 13 points is his season low. McDaniels' 12 straight games scoring double digits is tied for the longest streak in the league this season. Having star-level consistency from the team's third-leading scorer is a massive advantage.
I've previously noted that McDaniels' consistency is a result of finally having a consistent role. In any case, there's no denying that his play is a massive advantage for the Wolves.
McDaniels is a jumbo-sized shot creator who can punish mismatches both around the rim and at the mid-range, giving the Timberwolves a unique wrinkle. LaMelo's difficult shotmaking and Ayo's downhill scoring have been the Wolves' primary ways of scoring without Edwards, but McDaniels adds some much-needed variety. McDaniels playmaking and decision-making with the ball in his hands have further made his adjustment to an on-ball role easier.
He has long been known for his elite defense, and that has been on full display as well this season. McDaniels has continued to take on opposing teams' best perimeter or wing players. Notably, McDaniels ranks in the 89th percentile for matchup difficulty per CraftedNBA, and opponents are shooting just 42.2 percent from the field against McDaniels.
Furthermore, McDaniels has been disruptive as a defensive playmaker, averaging 1.6 stocks. With the Timberwolves getting smaller this offseason, it was clear that they'd need more from McDaniels on the glass. He's answered the call by posting a career-high 6.3 rebounds.
Yes, it's a small sample size, but it's no coincidence that the Timberwolves are 13.6 points per 100 possessions better with McDaniels on the floor. Only Ball has a better on/off swing. McDaniels' two-way impact is simply undeniable.
All of this is to say that McDaniels has been an indispensable part of the Timberwolves' success, even if he's not being talked about a ton.
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