There’s no question Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves is a terrific defender. It’s been his MO ever since he came into the league in 2020. The question with him was, could he round out his game on offense so he could stay on the floor longer?
He is proving that he can, slowly but surely. Though will never be mistaken for Anthony Edwards, his precocious teammate at Minnesota, McDaniels is gradually adding to the arsenal, becoming a more reliable free throw shooter this season and looking more and more confident from downtown as well.
At the All-Star break, the fifth-year wing is on pace for his third straight double-digit scoring season and is looking like the kind of playmaking wing in demand these days. His numbers—10.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.5 SPG—don’t exactly scream star, but in the grand scheme of things in Minnesota, McDaniels looks like a key piece moving forward.
That being said, McDaniels’ calling card continues to be defense, and he is still one of the league’s best in it. He is particularly great at on-ball defense and has shown he is up for the challenge of battling the league’s best perimeter scorers.
The evolution of Jaden McDaniels might be taking a while, but it is happening—slowly but surely.
