"Terror Twins" became a viral nickname for the Houston Rockets' defensive duo of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason last season. Aside from being the coolest nickname for a duo I've ever heard, this is something teams should be trying to replicate. Playing two versatile perimeter defenders together makes life hell for your opponents and bolsters your team's overall defense. Currently, this duo has an absurd 105 defensive rating per Cleaning the Glass.
The Minnesota Timberwolves post the 10th-ranked defense, a good number but not as great as they've been in past years. In fact, this number is the lowest mark in the Rudy GTo get back to their elite defensive identity, the Wolves have to unleash their version of the Terror Twins: Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Clark.
I've advocated for this duo to play in every second that Rudy Gobert is off the court. Notably, the non-Rudy minutes have been a massive struggle for Minnesota as he has a minus-14.5 on/off defensive swing.
In general, though, pairing these two defenders together more often would do wonders for the Wolves. In just 146 possessions, the Wolves have a 107.5 DRTG (91st percentile) with McDaniels and Clark. This duo playing more together could help power a defensive surge for the Timberwolves.
McDaniels and Clark must play more together
I think at this point every Timberwolves fan is hoping to see Clark get more minutes. The Wolves are 12-0 when he plays 14-plus minutes. As the Wolves' defense struggles to meet their standards, Clark must play more.
Regarding this duo, both players are elite on-ball stoppers. Opponents are shooting just 40.8 percent against Clark and 43.8 percent when defended by McDaniels. Both players are also fantastic defensive playmakers. Especially against teams with multiple perimeter threats, the Wolves should deploy this duo more often than they do.
McDaniels is overly taxed as the Wolves' primary point of attack defender. Yes, he is an elite on-ball defender, but having him constantly guard the opposing team's best player while having an expanded offensive role is tricky. That's where Clark comes in; he can take away pressure from
McDaniels, allowing him to roam around and wreak havoc off the ball.
McDaniels is extremely impactful on the ball, but he's also extremely disruptive off the ball. Using him off the ball takes advantage of his overall defensive skill set. Impressively, McDaniels ranks in the 96th percentile for blocks per 100 possessions according to Databallr.
In general, though, it's just super difficult to score against two swarming defenders, which is a nightmare for opponents. The McDaniels and Clark duo is especially challenging for opposing teams, given that they can shut you down on the ball and wreak havoc off the ball.
Ultimately, pairing McDaniels and Clark more often could help turn around the Wolves' defense.