The Minnesota Timberwolves have raced to a 9-3 start and are riding a five-game winning streak without Anthony Edwards, and most of the attention has gone to the names doing the loudest work. LaMelo Ball has been brilliant as the first option over the last five games, Ayo Dosunmu is playing like an All-Star, and Jonathan Kuminga has earned plenty of praise for settling into a complementary role.
Jaden McDaniels, though, has been every bit as important.
He’s been steady, efficient, and all over the floor for Minnesota, giving the Wolves a two-way presence that has quietly become one of their biggest advantages. Since Edwards went down, McDaniels is averaging 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists. That’s not a giant statistical leap from the 15 points he averaged in the first four games, but it is proof that his production has held firm while his responsibilities have grown.
What stands out most is how reliable he’s been. McDaniels has not had a single-digit scoring game this season, and his low point so far is 13.
His 12 straight games in double figures is tied for the longest streak in the league this season. For a team’s third-leading scorer, that kind of night-to-night stability matters.
That consistency also fits with the role he’s finally settled into. McDaniels is giving Minnesota a jumbo-sized shot creator who can attack mismatches at the rim or from the mid-range, which adds a different layer to the offense.
With Ball’s tough shotmaking and Dosunmu’s downhill scoring carrying much of the load without Edwards, McDaniels gives the Wolves another way to get points. His playmaking and decision-making with the ball have also made the move into a more on-ball role look smoother.
And then there’s the defense, where McDaniels has long made his name. He’s still taking on the toughest perimeter and wing assignments, and the numbers back up how difficult those matchups are. CraftedNBA has him in the 89th percentile for matchup difficulty, and opponents are shooting just 42.2 percent from the field against him.
He’s also doing damage as a defensive playmaker, averaging 1.6 stocks. With Minnesota getting smaller this offseason, the Wolves needed more from him on the boards, and he’s answered with a career-high 6.3 rebounds.
The sample is still small, but the on/off numbers point in the same direction. Minnesota is 13.6 points per 100 possessions better with McDaniels on the floor, a mark topped only by Ball. That kind of two-way swing is hard to ignore.
So while the spotlight has landed elsewhere, McDaniels has been right there in the middle of Minnesota’s surge. He may not be getting the loudest praise, but he’s been indispensable to the Wolves’ success.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Defense Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Fans Notice
Before the game, the Timberwolves got a familiar kind of respect from the other sideline: a coach talking up Minnesotas defense before having to deal with it. Dusty May pointed to the Wolves one-on-one guarding and the way Rudy Gobert anchors everything behind it, which is the sort of praise that usually comes only after a team has spent enough time making life miserable for opponents. It also fits the broader reputation Minnesota has built around a defense that can hold up even when the matchups get tough.
Chris Finch, meanwhile, was already focused on the next challenge, discussing how Minnesota would try to contain Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. That is the balancing act for the Wolves now, because the defense has become a calling card, but it still has to travel from reputation to execution every night. And when an opposing coach is openly acknowledging how hard it is to score against them, it says plenty about how far that side of the floor has come. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are Already Showing Why This New-Look Group Feels Different
A new-look Timberwolves group wasted little time making a statement at Target Center, rolling past Dallas by 39 points in a game that looked lopsided from the opening stretches. LaMelo Ball gave Minnesota the kind of steady offensive push that can make a reshaped roster feel instantly more coherent, finishing with 22 points, nine assists and two steals while keeping the attack moving and the pressure on.
What stood out just as much was the way Minnesota handled the other end. Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga and Rudy Gobert helped set the tone defensively, and the Wolves made life difficult for Cooper Flagg throughout the night, never letting Dallas find much rhythm around its young centerpiece. For a team still defining its identity, this was the sort of performance that suggested the pieces may fit faster than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Flagg Gave Mavericks Fans One Bright Spot In Minnesota
Cooper Flagg gave Dallas one of the few bright moments in Minnesota, flashing the athleticism that keeps him such a compelling part of the Mavericks future even as the game tilted hard in the Timberwolves favor. The rookies burst stood out in a matchup that quickly got away from Dallas, but Minnesota kept control behind a strong all-around performance and kept rolling in a stretch that has the group playing with real confidence.
LaMelo Ball was at the center of it for the Timberwolves, helping turn the night into another statement win while Dallas was left to sort through the bigger picture. The Mavericks should look different when Kyrie Irving returns, but the schedule does not ease up, with Cleveland and Boston next, and those games will offer a much clearer read on where this team stands once it gets healthier. [Read more 🡒]