Jaden McDaniels didn’t just show up in Minnesota’s season opener. He showed the Timberwolves exactly why they’ve spent the offseason talking about a bigger offensive role for him.
In Wednesday night’s 131-106 win over the Miami Heat, McDaniels finished with 17 points and did it efficiently, knocking down 8 of 11 shots from the floor and 1 of 3 from 3-point range. The total mattered, but the way he got there mattered more. This looked like the kind of night that can push him toward the offensive jump the Wolves have been waiting on.
McDaniels has been a core piece for Minnesota since the team drafted him 28th overall in 2020, and his value has long started on the defensive end. He was named to the NBA’s second All-Defense team during the 2023-24 season, and that play helped earn him a one-year, $40 million contract extension this week.
But the Wolves have wanted more than just elite defense. They’ve wanted a more complete player.
Last season offered a hint of what that can look like. McDaniels set a career high with 14.8 points per game, and the efficiency was just as important as the scoring bump. He hit a career-best 41.2 percent from 3-point range and shot 51.5 percent overall, the second-best mark of his career behind only his 51.7 percent clip in 2022-23.
That belief in another level came straight from president of basketball operations Tim Connelly early in the offseason.
“I think without question it’s discussions we’ve had over the last several years. Jaden has a whole ‘nother gear to reach,” Connelly said via OnSI and Zone Coverage writer Andrew Dukowitz.
“We want to keep raising the bar. As good as he is, we know his best basketball is in front of him.
I think there’s a lot more he can unlock as a playmaker too. We have to ensure that he’s in a position to do those things.”
Minnesota’s offseason roster shakeup was built with that idea in mind. McDaniels had more room to operate after Julius Randle was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball arrived in the same deal that sent Randle to Brooklyn and Reid to Charlotte, and he was part of the setup that gave McDaniels cleaner chances at the rim.
McDaniels made the most of it right away. He scored nine points in the first quarter alone, including a 3-pointer that put Minnesota up 25-17 with 5:51 left in the opening frame.
That burst helped set the tone for the Wolves, and it wasn’t just about scoring. Before the season, Finch said he wanted more from McDaniels on the glass, and McDaniels answered with eight rebounds. He also played a huge role in Minnesota’s margin, with the Wolves outscoring Miami by 25 points during his 29 minutes.
The defense was there, too. McDaniels picked up three steals, and those takeaways helped spark fast-break chances as Minnesota pushed the pace. The Wolves ended up with just five fast-break points, but the steals still created better looks around the basket and helped Minnesota shoot 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range as a team.
McDaniels probably isn’t going to score 45 like Anthony Edwards did in the win, and expecting him to average 20 a night may be too much. But if this season opener is any indication, the offensive growth the Timberwolves have been chasing is real.
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For Miami, the issues went beyond one stars scoring burst. The Heat had trouble generating help around him, and the glass was an issue too, which made it hard for them to get the kind of open-floor opportunities they want. Minnesota, meanwhile, left with a result that felt bigger than a single October game, especially with Anthony Edwards continuing to be a problem for Miami whenever these teams line up. [Read more 🡒]