It's well known that Jaden McDaniels is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Despite the Minnesota Timberwolves trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid, Chris Finch has made it sound like McDaniels will largely continue to operate as a point-of-attack defender. Given how skilled he is at this role, I have no complaints about this deployment.
Regardless, I think there will naturally be more opportunities for McDaniels to guard fours and roam off the ball, two skills he quietly excels at. And while he wants to keep him in this POA role, it seems like this is Finch's mindset to some extent.
“I see Jaden playing largely the same role he’s always played,” Finch said to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.“But of course he can slide over to play four, and you get a chance to get other guys on the floor. “If that’s what we feel at the end of training camp is the best thing for us, then of course we’ll do it. But that’s not necessarily my mindset going in. My mindset going here right now is way more open and lean into other things, whether it be creativity or finding a guy or the right guys across both lineups, first and second, that unlock it.”
Even if Jaden primarily remains as a perimeter stopper, it sounds like there will be opportunities for him to guard forwards and roam off the ball, which could further highlight his defensive brilliance. Finch's comments make it clear that flexibility will be key, which could lead us to seeing more of McDaniels' defensive versatility.
I feel like a lot of things will come down to matchups. For example, when the Timberwolves play the Denver Nuggets, by all means, McDaniels should guard Jamal Murray; we saw how he's routinely limited Murray over the years. What about when they play a team like the Miami Heat that doesn't have a high-end guard? McDaniels is unlikely to guard perimeter players in that game.
Jaden McDaniels' defensive versatility should be on full display this year
Ranking in the 95th percentile for blocks per 100 possessions, McDaniels is a truly elite help-side rim protector. Averaging 2.1 stocks per game, he is a stout defensive playmaker as well. When McDaniels is utilized in this off-ball roamer role, he excels. Furthermore, he has plenty of size and length to guard opposing forwards if needed.
However, with Reid, Randle (and Towns before him), McDaniels could never get a steady diet guarding fours or being consistenly deployed off the ball.
Now, though, there will be more opportunities for McDaniels to guard forwards and wreak havoc off the ball. Even if his role is still primarily a point-of-attack defender, based on matchups, he could be used as an off-ball disruptor more often, with Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, and Jaylen Clark being able to guard on the ball. Likewise, simply playing with more perimeter-centric lineups gives McDaniels some more natural off-ball duties.
McDaniels' rare blend of size, length, agility, and IQ makes him well-positioned to thrive in this POA role. Still, there's evidence to suggest that McDaniels could flourish just as much, if not more, in a roamer role. Truth be told, the best deployment of McDaniels is using him a good amount in both roles (he's that versatile), and the Timberwolves' new roster could help them strike this balance.
One common comparison for McDaniels is OG Anunoby. What makes OG such a special defender isn't just his lockdown on-ball defense; it's his ability to guard up and wreak havoc off the ball. We could see more of these skills from McDaniels; he's already flashed brilliance in this regard. In turn, McDaniels could reach another tier of defensive players, as crazy as that may sound given his already elite status.
It's a bit shocking that McDaniels has made just one All-Defensive team in his career, but that could be poised to change this upcoming season as we get to see more of his all-around skill set. While McDaniels is already known as a top-tier defensive player, this could be the best defensive season of his career.
Add us as a preferred source on Google