Jaden McDaniels reveals former Wolves player who has helped spark his massive leap

On Monday, the Timberwolves moved back over .500 at 4-3 with a 125-109 victory over the lowly Nets. It was another excellent and efficient outing from Jaden McDaniels on the offensive end, as he finished with 22 points on 9-11 shooting (2-3 from 3-point territory). After the game, which aired on Peacock, McDaniels spoke with the postgame commentary team, which includes Jamal Crawford.

Jamal Crawford's advice has helped McDaniels this season

It has been fun watching McDaniels continue to exhibit more confidence on offense. McDaniels is one of the team’s best finishers at the rim, and it’s just something he needs to do more frequently.

After Monday’s win, he interviewed with the Peacock postgame crew about his performance. Crawford, a player who has spoken to and worked with McDaniels in the offseason, asked McDaniels about where the improvement in scoring has come from.

"Forgetting the missed shots, McDaniels said. I feel like now, when I miss a shot, it’s just in the back of my head. Just worrying about the next one going in. Something we talked about, just finding my spots on the court, deep paint twos, midrange, spot-up shots. The advice you gave me and the work I put in is helping a lot."

Taking advice and working with Jamal Crawford can only benefit a player who is looking to become more consistent on the offensive end. A three-time Sixth Man of the Year, Crawford scored 19,419 points during his playing career. He was also known as having one of the nastiest crossovers that the game has ever seen.

Both the 25-year-old McDaniels and Crawford are from the Seattle area, which is known for producing players who make it to the NBA. That’s what made Crawford want to work with McDaniels. The latter is known as one of the better wing defenders in the league, but also as someone who doesn’t always exhibit confidence on the other side of the court.

Stepped up in Ant Man's absence

After middling performances in Minnesota’s first three contests, McDaniels has really stepped it up while Anthony Edwards has been sidelined with a strained right hamstring. Monday was the fourth-straight game that Edwards was forced to miss.

In those four outings, McDaniels has scored a total of 91 points (22.75 points per game). Over that time, the 6-foot-9 forward has shot 36-56 from the field (64.3%), 8-12 from beyond the arc (66.7%), and 11-12 from the free-throw line (91.7%).

McDaniels’ play of late is a silver lining that can be found from Edwards being forced to sit out. The Timberwolves next play on the road against the Knicks on Wednesday.