There are plenty of positives to the Minnesota Timberwolves signing Jonathan Kuminga. However, one concern is that pairing him with Rudy Gobert will hurt the Wolves' floor spacing.
Sure, the Timberwolves have two elite volume shooters in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, but they'll need some dependable shooting throughout the roster to negate these concerns. And Jaden McDaniels is one player who can help fill this void if he can replicate or perhaps even improve on last season.
McDaniels is coming off a career season, where he averaged 14.8 points and shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. Before last season, McDaniels was a career 34.8 percent 3-point shooter. As such, it's not a guarantee that his strong shooting will carry over to next season.
Unfortunately, if McDaniels' 3-point shooting regresses, then Minnesota's floor spacing could become a real issue despite having Ant and LaMelo.
The Timberwolves need Jaden McDaniels to knock down his 3-pointers
We saw last season how problematic it was to have a frontcourt that struggled to space the floor. Opposing defenses could throw the house at Edwards, and the driving lanes were constantly clogged. LaMelo solves some of this problem given his elite blend of scoring and playmaking, but things could get dicey without consistent shooting from complementary players.
I'm a big believer in McDaniels' offensive skill set and the idea that he could level up. Nonetheless, shooting isn't close to the main reason for my belief. Rather, his finishing and constantly improving shot creation are his main strengths.
In addition to being a shaky shooter for most of his career, McDaniels doesn't shoot many 3s, averaging just 3.4 attempts from beyond the arc.
Now, Ball will create more open shots for McDaniels, which could help him ramp up his volume. Plus, last season offers confidence that he can knock them down at a strong clip. Again, though, if McDaniels regresses to his previously ho-hum shooting, the Wolves will be in real trouble, especially since Minnesota will be counting more on this part of his game.
Last season, the Wolves were a middle-of-the-pack 3-point shooting team, ranking 14th in 3-pointers made and 17th in attempts. To maximize their offensive ceiling and offset some of the concerns attached to Kuminga, these numbers must improve. Edwards and Ball alone aren't enough to solve this problem. The Timberwolves will need consistent shooting from their supporting talent, and McDaniels will be key as the team's starting small forward, especially given his efficient shooting last season.
If he's merely an average or below-average shooter, the Timberwolves' starting five is unlikely to thrive together, and they could be forced to reduce Kuminga's minutes.
Frankly, the difference between the Timberwolves becoming one of the best offenses in the league and a lack of shooting derailing their season could hinge on McDaniels continuing to knock down open 3s.
McDaniels' importance increases when considering that the Wolves' bench is littered with 3-point snipers. Ayo Dosunmu is a good shooter, but outside of him, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark are unproven shooters. Bones Hyland can make it rain, but he's inconsistent, and his role is unclear.
The bigger picture, though, is that to offset some of the understandable spacing concerns with the Kuminga-Gobert frontcourt, McDaniels' promising shooting needs to carry over from last season.
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