Thrilling Jaden McDaniels truth should have Wolves fans dreaming and rivals trembling

Jaden McDaniels' offensive growth has been one of the most exciting parts of the Minnesota Timberwolves' season. The already elite defender has blossomed into an efficient three-level scorer, averaging 15.2 points on 51.8/45.2/84.2 shooting splits. Undoubtedly, this changes the Wolves' championship outlook in some capacity. 

Amid this excitement, though, it's hard to remember Jaden McDaniels is still just 25 years old. As such, he has yet to hit his true prime, and next year, he might level up once again. 

I strongly believe that McDaniels will one day be an All-Star. This thought should delight Timberwolves fans, and it clearly supports their ultimate goal of building a long-term contender around Anthony Edwards. Conversely, rival teams should further dread a matchup with the Wolves in future years if and when McDaniels takes another leap. 

McDaniels is poised to continue leveling up

Given the continuous improvements we've seen from McDaniels, I don't feel comfortable putting a cap on his ceiling. With the level of efficiency and fluidity we've seen from McDaniels, it's fair to expect another statistical leap if and when he gets a bigger role in the Wolves' offense. As an athletic 6-foot-9 forward, McDaniels has the ideal build of a star-level wing. 

He's already one of the best complementary stars, but it's easy to see a world where we look at McDaniels as a flat-out co-star. A trio of Edwards, Randle, and a further leveled-up McDaniels would be a matchup nightmare in the playoffs.

Now, for McDaniels to reach another level, the Wolves need to empower him more as a primary creator. McDaniels has made this impressive leap while only increasing his field goal attempts by .8 per game. You might argue that this is due to his lack of aggressiveness, but I really think it comes down to how he's been utilized.

Most of McDaniels' points come within the flow of the offense (or by getting out in transition) -- they rarely run plays for him. I can't expect his usage to magically skyrocket to close the season, but after some reflection in the offseason (and possibly a trade), I could see McDaniels being empowered even more in the offense. This will be paired with McDaniels continuing to sharpen his game as he has throughout his career.

As is, McDaniels is an efficient tertiary scorer and a highly valuable player, but it still feels like he's just scratching the surface to some degree. Undoubtedly, McDaniels' growth this season gives the Wolves a new dimension, but this might only be the beginning for him, and fans should be excited by the possibility of further growth.