Timberwolves can't lose sight of massive Jaden McDaniels advantage

Jaden McDaniels offered a clear silver lining in the Minnesota Timberwolves' Game 1 116-105 loss. He scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out three assists. McDaniels also played fantastic defense on Jamal Murray, holding him to 2-of-7 shooting as the closest defender. 

Murray's 16 free throws helped power a 33-point performance, but the Wolves did a good job of containing him from the field in large part due to McDaniels. Being able to limit Murray is a key aspect of preventing the Nuggets' high-powered offense, and McDaniels has proven that he can give Murray fits.

On the other side of the ball, McDaniels was often guarded by one of the Nuggets' weakest defenders (typically Murray) in Game 1, and with his growing offensive game, the Wolves have to lean on this advantage. Even when Murray isn't guarding McDaniels, players such as Cam Johnson or Tim Hardaway Jr. are great matchups for him. 

The playoffs are all about attacking the opposing teams' weakest link, and Minnesota can do that by empowering McDaniels more. Heading into the series, McDaniels was an obvious advantage for the Wolves, and after one game, it's clear they need to prioritize him even more.

McDaniels' two-way impact could help tilt the series

Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle shot a combined 14-of-35 from the field. Unfortunately, given Ant's injury and the difficulties that Aaron Gordon provides as a defender against Randle, these struggles may continue. Thus, McDaniels is the next natural source of shot creation for the Timberwolves. 

After the game, Edwards noted the importance of getting Jaden involved.

"We gotta find a way, especially myself, to get him (Jaden) the ball... I think Finchy does a great job of trying to call his number. But I got to do it without Finchy calling his number a lot more because he's really talented," Edwards said. 

Given Ant's transparent comments, it's fair to expect that getting McDaniels involved more will be a priority for the Wolves for the rest of the series. 

McDaniels' 6-of-14 shooting doesn't look great on paper. However, he shot 4-of-6 in the first half, and his process was good. All four of McDaniels' missed 3-pointers were quality looks. Likewise, given that he shot 41.2 percent in the regular season from beyond the arc, it's fair to expect his shooting to bounce back in this series. 

The Wolves should activate the drive-and-kick game to create more open shots for McDaniels. More importantly, though, the Wolves need to make it a priority to get McDaniels' touches as a creator so that he can attack mismatches.

While McDaniels statistically didn't shoot great against Murray on Saturday, his size, driving, and finishing give him a clear blueprint to success against the 6-foot-4 guard.

Involving your 6-foot-9 shot creator more when he has an advantageous matchup is a simple adjustment that could pay dividends for the Wolves' offense and overall viability in the series. Luckily, based on Edwards' comments, the Wolves seem ready to make Jaden more of a focal point.

Ultimately, if the Wolves can pull off an upset, McDaniels' defense on Murray and shot creation will be central to their success. 

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