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More Mature McDaniels Continues to Produce as NBA Player

The former UW forward draws plaudits for defense and overall game.
Dan Raley|
More Mature McDaniels Continues to Produce as NBA Player
More Mature McDaniels Continues to Produce as NBA Player

One of the NBA's success stories this season has been the emergence of the Minnesota Timberwolves from have-not to a winning franchise, and the steady development of Jaden McDaniels has helped make that happen.

The former University of Washington forward continues to expand his game to the point the T-Wolves won't consider trading him, as has been speculated at times, because of the high return value he would bring.

Instead, they use him in a variety of ways, starting him when needed or bringing him off the bench, though the lanky 6-foot-9 McDaniels from Federal Way, Washington, still seems to be just scratching the surface of becoming an impact player.

“I think — and this is obviously a stretch goal for anybody — but he can be Scottie Pippen-esque,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told minnpost.com.

In his second NBA season after being a UW one-and-done player, McDaniels has helped Minnesota make the jump from a listless 23-49 team to an energetic 34-29 playoff contender.

He's appeared in 60 games, starting 25, and averages 9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

In his last seven outings, he's had the best stretch of his brief NBA existence, supplying 11, 18, 18, 7, 10, 17 and 8 points.

Yet it is at the defensive end where Minnesota raves about this young find from the Northwest. The coaching staff still marvels over his three-game stretch as a rookie when McDaniels played effective stopper against a trio of All-Stars: Luka Doncic, James Harden and Julius Randle.

“What he’s doing at the defensive end of the floor is special," Finch said. "It’s as special as what we’re seeing Ant [Anthony Edwards] can do on offense. It’s as special as anything you’ve seen. I can’t remember a defender, a rookie, coming in and having this kind of impact."

Says McDaniels succinctly, "I accept the challenge. I don't back down from it. I see myself guarding them and it's only getting me better just to guard the best players in the world."

Jaden McDaniels cuts off DeMar DeRozan.

Jaden McDaniels rejects Buddy Hield's shot.

Jaden McDaniels pressures Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis.

Jaden McDaniels launches a shot over Joel Embid.

Again, it's a far cry from what UW fans witnessed during the 2019-20 college basketball season leading up to the pandemic when McDaniels appeared to be a detached and immature kid hardly committed to the game. 

Everything changed for him when he turned his attention to the NBA to make a living. He became deeply devoted to improving his craft, notably putting away his shot when necessary and showing a profound interest in being a solid defender. 

Finch made sure that that McDaniels has had lots of leeway to figure things out.

“He was down on himself and down on his shot at times,” the Minnesota coach said. “I just said to him, ‘You’re not a shooter, you’re a basketball player. So go make plays and the shots will go in. Don’t define yourself on whether you miss or make shots.’ ”

McDaniels since has turned himself into a ball-mover rather than a stationary shooter on the perimeter and this has benefitted him and his more offensive-minded teammates. 

In late January against the Utah Jazz, McDaniels had his finest outing as a pro, hitting all 9 shots he put up, including 3 from beyond the arc, and he finished with 22 points. 

Teammate D'Angelo Russell has been beside himself in praising the games of the Timberwolves' so-called Seattle twins, Jaylen Nowell and McDaniels.

Finch often says McDaniels is "fearless," though the big guy has displayed noted discomfort in dealing with large bodies of water, which seems ironic since he now lives in the land of 1,000 lakes. After all, this was where the Los Angeles Lakers were christened initially while operating as a Minnesota franchise. 

On a summer outing to Lake Minnetonka, teammates Josh Okogie and Naz Reid finally convinced McDaniels to jump in after he initially gave off a lot of resistance.

"I had my eyes closed under the water," McDaniels said. "I didn't know when I was coming up. I'll get in [again]. I might not jump in though."

As he develops his pro game, McDaniels has become a fan favorite for the ultra-smooth way he moves around the court, both offensively and defensively. 

Just a 21-year-old kid, he also likes to prowl the Mall of America alone when he's got free time. The fans recognize him as he plays video games, goes to a particular clothing store that carries his size and eats at soul food restaurants.

McDaniels has enjoyed himself in the Midwest, though he wasn't sure what he was getting into at first.

"They always used to joke how Minneapolis is the best city in the world and I'm like, 'I don't know where Minnesota is at,' " he said.

McDaniels knows the city now and the city knows him. The Timberwolves feel they got a steal by being able to draft him 28th in the first round.

He's certainly not the same person who either offered a faraway, disinterested look or drew five technical fouls in his lone season at the UW. 

He's a man now, rather than a disconnected teenager. No one dares suggest that he doesn't care about what's happening on the basketball floor around him or that he doesn't respect the game. 

Even McDaniels is a little mystified himself by what happened to him with the Huskies and those long ago outbursts.

"I was over-competitive and wanted to win too much," he said of his spate of college T's. "I feel like that, in a way, it dawned on me as a person. I know I'm a heartwarming person, love people. So it was weird. But I don't ever hear it anymore."

McDaniels was always considered a significant basketball talent. It was welcome news around his hometown when he accepted a scholarship from coach Mike Hopkins and the Huskies rather than play for the blueblood Kentucky program and John Calipari. 

But Jaden, the defensive specialist? Who knew?

McDaniels has drawn the attention of opponents across the league, where defense isn't always everyone else's primary concern. Even veteran guard Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns felt compelled one night to approach Finch, the T-Wolves coach, and ask pointedly, "Who is this guy? He can really guard."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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