The Minnesota Timberwolves just came to a brutal Jaden McDaniels realization in their ugly loss to the LA Clippers: Great offense almost always beats great defense. Even though McDaniels is one of the NBA’s premier defenders, Kawhi Leonard still tormented him. There was nothing he could do about it.
Part of the reason the Wolves have found so much success over the last few years is because of how dominant they’ve been on the defensive end. Rudy Gobert’s presence inside has been a huge part of that, but so has McDaniels superb perimeter defense. But on Wednesday night, it wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
Even Jaden McDaniels couldn't stop Kawhi Leonard
McDaniels had a fine offensive showing. He finished the game with 11 points, two rebounds, and three assists while shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 1-of-1 from deep range.
However, on the other end of the floor, he was tasked with guarding one of the best players on the planet. Leonard may not be in his prime anymore, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on Wednesday night’s outcome.
Leonard was an absolute monster, leading the Clippers to a dominant 153-128 win over the Timberwolves. And he did it in the face of one of the league’s best defenders.
McDaniels guarded Leonard for 6:32 on Wednesday night, and it didn’t go particularly well. While guarded by McDaniels, Leonard scored 15 points and dished out two assists.
But perhaps the most impressive part was how efficient Leonard was in the matchup. He shot 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point land while being guarded by McDaniels.
The end result? A monster game for Leonard in a game when the Clippers needed it most. Despite trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline, Leonard has still managed to help the Clippers find success.
There's too much pressure being put on McDaniels. He needs help. But still, seeing one of the league's best defenders get beaten like that is a painful reality to learn about offense vs. defense in the NBA.
Leonard finished the game with 45 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals while shooting 15-of-20 from the floor and 6-of-9 from behind the three-point line.
He looked like prime Leonard, and even McDaniels couldn’t do anything about it. Unfortunately for him and the Wolves, Leonard was a monster.
McDaniels is still an elite defender. Having him in the starting lineup will inevitably pay dividends for the Wolves once the playoffs come around, but Wednesday night was a harsh reminder.
Great offense will almost always beat great defense. And as the Wolves get ready for the postseason, Minnesota may have to get used to that reality.