Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has been essential to helping the franchise establish a high minimum standard of play. An elite defender who can pick players up at multiple positions and make their life miserable at all three levels, McDaniels is a true pillar of the organization.
Not long after the Timberwolves labeled McDaniels as untouchable ahead of the trade deadline, he's proving why they're so high on him: He can raise the team's ceiling, as well.
Establishing a high enough floor to be a playoff team is clearly an essential step for any and every organization to take. The difference between true contenders and those that merely knock on the door of greatness, however, is the ability to evolve past simpy being able to compete.
The Timberwolves have made impressive moves over the past two seasons in their attempts to do so, but after making consecutive Conference Finals appearances, the standard has risen to the championship level.
Meeting that nearly impossible expectation is rather difficult when cap space isn't a strength one is able to work with. The requirement is thus developing talent from within and making the type of trades that Minnesota thankfully embraced by acquiring Ayo Dosunmu.
The primary reason to believe the ceiling can rise, however, is that McDaniels is making the leap to two-way stardom the Timberwolves believed he could—even if it is a work in progress.
Jaden McDaniels slowly but surely making leap to stardom
McDaniels is currently averaging a career-best 15.2 points per game, thus marking a second consecutive season during which his scoring average has increased. He's doing so while shooting the lights out at a clip of .518/.452/.842.
Though a scorer who puts up 15 points a night isn't necessarily at the star level, McDaniels has made the highly-anticipated progress in assertiveness and efficiency Minnesota desperately needed to see.
A season ago, McDaniels recorded one 30-point game and 12 20-point performances across 82 appearances. In 2025-26, he already has a 32-point showing and 15 20-point outings in 25 fewer games played.
That only scratches the surface of how much more assertive he's become, as McDaniels' elevated baseline for scoring has directly coincided with the ceiling getting ever higher in Minnesota.
A season ago, McDaniels' defense was invaluable but his inefficient shooting and inconsistent scoring left questions marks he couldn't necessarily address. Fast forward to 2025-26, however, and there isn't a matchup Minnesota has encountered for which he was a poor fit.
Now able to play their best perimeter defender against anyone and trust that he can pick up the slack on offense whenever his number is called, the Timberwolves are true contenders.