One of the biggest questions around the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason has been: What will Jaden McDaniels' defensive role be? Of course, McDaniels is an elite perimeter defender. Still, the Timberwolves' lack of a natural power forward could have altered his longtime defensive role, even if Chris Finch wanted him to remain as a perimeter stopper.
Jonathan Kuminga brings valid questions about McDaniels' offensive role. It's now clear, though, that McDaniels will largely remain a perimeter stopper, as Kuminga can guard physical forwards, which is great news for the Timberwolves.
McDaniels has a strong case to be the league's best point-of-attack stopper. If not, he's top-three in this role. Few players can take stars out of a game or series as McDaniels can. Look at what he did to Jamal Murray in the playoffs, holding the 2026 All-Star to 31.7 percent shooting from the field as his primary defender. Furthermore, last season McDaniels ranked in the 98th percentile for perimeter isolation defense per BBall Index.
There's no player who possesses the same combination of size, length, and quickness that McDaniels does. Simply put, he's a matchup nightmare for opposing guards, and having a player who can consistently limit opposing stars is a distinct advantage for the Timberwolves.
Kuminga allows the Timberwolves to keep McDaniels in his ideal defensive role
I don't think McDaniels guarding forwards more often would have ended poorly. Furthermore, I'd like to see his defensive playmaking and off-ball rim protection utilized a bit more (and maybe it will be this season). Still, given his slight frame, it's worth wondering how he would have handled guarding the league's most physical forwards.
Now, with Kuminga in the fold, this concern is nullified. The bigger picture for me, though, has always been that keeping McDaniels as a perimeter stopper gives the Timberwolves a unique advantage, and ensuring this advantage remains is ideal.
That's why I advocated for McDaniels to stay at the point of attack when there was uncertainty around this role.
More generally speaking, the combination of McDaniels at the point of attack and Rudy Gobert protecting the rim has made the Timberwolves a truly elite defense in recent years. Knowing that McDaniels will stay in the role that he thrives in should bolster confidence that Minnesota can remain a top-tier defense. Without Kuminga, McDaniels' role would have been a major question that would've loomed over the Timberwolves.
Additionally, considering Gobert's rim protection, McDaniels' perimeter defense, Kuminga's defense against forwards, and a talented supporting cast, the Timberwolves' defense now has all of the major elements to succeed.
Frankly, Kuminga is the Timberwolves' best stopper against physical forwards of this era. As such, this could make the Wolves a top-tier defense, perhaps similar to the level they reached in the 2023-24 season.
In any event, keeping McDaniels as a perimeter stopper should help the Timberwolves reach their defensive ceiling.
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