Minnesota Sports Forum

One of the reasons, I'm eager to move on from Rudy Gobert is to ensure a roster that's aligned strategically and chronologically with our two top young talents - Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.

We already have a thread dedicated solely to Edwards and we all know his numbers the past 2-3 months have been elite to say the least. Not surprisingly, he's officially and NBA all-star. He's not consistent defensively, but he's shown he can be a lock-down defender and he forces a lot of turnovers. Part of his issue defensively is how much energy he's forced to expend on the offensive end. He's carrying the vast majority of the team's scoring load and also doing a great job crashing the boards.

The guy we don't talk about enough - the sleeper of the two - is Jaden McDaniels. You've all probably read the recent report that half the League's teams were interested in trading for Jaden. We all know that the Jazz wanted Jaden rather than all the picks in the Gobert deal. Now here's a recent quote from Conley about Jaden:

Christopher Hine: Mike Conley on Jaden McDaniels. "He's special. ... They ask a lot of him. Me coming in, I want to be able to spell him. He doesn't have to guard the point guard the whole game or whatever it is he feels he needs to do, and give him even more bounce, more energy." 7 hours ago - via Twitter ChristopherHine

When half the League wants your player, you should know you have something special. When a top notch vet praises that player in the way quoted above within days after coming to your team, that tells you something. We all know Jaden has developed a reputation as a defensive stopper. But look at his offensive efficiency - shooting 51% from the field and 37.4% from behind the arc albeit on limited attempts. Watching him, you can see flashes of elite slashing ability as his handle has definitely improved. He doesn't score a lot of points (11 per game), but that's largely because the team doesn't run plays for him. His rebounding numbers are still troublesome when you consider his size, athleticism and position. But everything else about his game is impressive and improving. I was hoping that he'd emerge as an all-star caliber player this season the way Ant has, but that probably wasn't a fair expectation given his role on the team. In any event, I'm convinced we have a really special player in Jaden who will only get better over the next few years. I think he'll be more than a terrific defender. I see him becoming a really good two-way player and potentially an all-star or borderline all-star if given the opportunity. He fits well with Edwards and KAT. I'm excited to see if he can thrive more offensively with Conley running the point.

As bad as this season has been and even though we don't have 1st-round pick this year, it's hard not to be excited about this team going forward with Edwards and Jaden here to build around. Meanwhile, KAT will be back and in his prime for a while yet. I'm not optimistic about the Wolves this season. But I remain optimistic about this team next season and beyond. TC will have to make a few shrewd moves over the next couple years, but the most important thing will be the continued development of Ant and Jaden.

I love Jaden, but it boggles my mind that he averages 3.8 rebounds. He needs to add some strength finally if he really wants to take the next step in his play. That way he won't have to swipe and flail to make up for it and get all those bad foul calls.

thedoper wrote:I love Jaden, but it boggles my mind that he averages 3.8 rebounds. He needs to add some strength finally if he really wants to take the next step in his play. That way he won't have to swipe and flail to make up for it and get all those bad foul calls.

Yep, a guy with his length and athleticism needs to get more rebounds. Mike Conley really praised Jaden in the StarTrib this morning, and especially his defense. He and Finchie think that allowing Conley to defend the other team's PG (Kyrie tonight) will free Jaden up to be more disruptive in the lane. I agree. And not having to play defense on the perimeter so much should also allow him to compete for more rebounds. I've noticed some very athletic rebounds by Jaden recently, and I think he has the ability to really improve his rebounding. He needs to.

FNG wrote:

thedoper wrote:I love Jaden, but it boggles my mind that he averages 3.8 rebounds. He needs to add some strength finally if he really wants to take the next step in his play. That way he won't have to swipe and flail to make up for it and get all those bad foul calls.

Yep, a guy with his length and athleticism needs to get more rebounds. Mike Conley really praised Jaden in the StarTrib this morning, and especially his defense. He and Finchie think that allowing Conley to defend the other team's P (Kyrie tonight) will free Jaden up to be more disruptive in the lane. I agree. And not having to play defense on the perimeter so much should also allow him to compete for more rebounds. I've noticed some very athletic rebounds by Jaden recently, and I think he has the ability to really improve his rebounding. He needs to.

Yeah he's a long way from the basket on most shot attempts. He needs to get stronger obviously, and hopefully that rebound average will increase.

I'd like to start by saying that Jaden McDaniels has absolutely taken a leap this season, at least in my eyes. He hasn't made that All-Star jump, no, but I wasn't expecting that from him anyways. I don't necessarily think that's in the cards for him either, but it doesn't have to be for him to be a very impactful player.

With that said, he has continued to make his steady year-to-year improvements, and he's gone from an inconsistent, rotational wing last year to a quality starter this season. That alone is worth appreciation. I also think he should be a logical choice for All-Defensive First Team given the difficulty of his nightly matchups and the effect he has on their volume and efficiency. McDaniels' combination of length and agility has put many elite scorers in jail this season and he does it on a regular basis. That simply can't be overlooked by voters who pay any attention to the league.

McDaniels has also increased his three-point shooting to 37.4-percent, albeit on just 3.2 attempts per game, leading to the most efficient season of his young career. The volume needs to be higher, and hopefully that doesn't tank his efficiency, but I remain optimistic that there are more makes in him than that. He's especially good from the corners, which definitely doesn't hurt. All in all, this is a positive development, especially after he took a step backwards last year.

We know he needs to rebound his position much better, and he still gets whistled for silly fouls far too often (on top of the questionable fouls that don't go his way), but I've mostly liked what I've seen from McDaniels this year. I'm also probably more jaded on his offensive potential than most here, as I don't think he has a natural scoring arsenal, but he has some tools/moves in a pinch that he can build off of moving forward.

I still think the goal for him should be some hybrid version of Mikal Bridges, Andrei Kirilenko, Jerami Grant, and Jonathan Isaac, but that isn't said to be a knock on him at all. That hybrid version would be an extremely valuable player, especially in today's league. I think that's what McDaniels already is -- evident by the amount of interest he has around the NBA.

PS: I do think he'll need to keep defending opposing guards for this defense to maintain its current defensive rating. Mike Conley Jr. -- the 35-year old version -- cannot handle the better offensive guards in this league. I often specify his age because the younger versions of him were very good defensively and a headache for the opposition. But he's very clearly lost a step. McDaniels will need to assume that role for a bit longer.

He is really good. I've especially been pleased with his ability to hit mid-range jumpers when needed. His length really does help him hit some of those midrange fade-aways that I used to cringe at anyone taking. I do wish his motor ran a just a little bit higher though. Maybe it's his length that's a bit deceptive in that regard, but sometimes it does look a like he could use a cup of coffee before the game and maybe another at halftime!

I'll also add he has really tried to be a playmaker this year, albeit with mixed results. Many of his assist attempts have become turnovers, usually because an opponent has read the pass, or Jaden forced something he should not have. But it is still a great development for him to add playmaking to his arsenal, and it is something he hopefully improves upon.

Camden wrote:I'd like to start by saying that Jaden McDaniels has absolutely taken a leap this season, at least in my eyes. He hasn't made that All-Star jump, no, but I wasn't expecting that from him anyways. I don't necessarily think that's in the cards for him either, but it doesn't have to be for him to be a very impactful player.

With that said, he has continued to make his steady year-to-year improvements, and he's gone from an inconsistent, rotational wing last year to a quality starter this season. That alone is worth appreciation. I also think he should be a logical choice for All-Defensive First Team given the difficulty of his nightly matchups and the effect he has on their volume and efficiency. McDaniels' combination of length and agility has put many elite scorers in jail this season and he does it on a regular basis. That simply can't be overlooked by voters who pay any attention to the league.

McDaniels has also increased his three-point shooting to 37.4-percent, albeit on just 3.2 attempts per game, leading to the most efficient season of his young career. The volume needs to be higher, and hopefully that doesn't tank his efficiency, but I remain optimistic that there are more makes in him than that. He's especially good from the corners, which definitely doesn't hurt. All in all, this is a positive development, especially after he took a step backwards last year.

We know he needs to rebound his position much better, and he still gets whistled for silly fouls far too often (on top of the questionable fouls that don't go his way), but I've mostly liked what I've seen from McDaniels this year. I'm also probably more jaded on his offensive potential than most here, as I don't think he has a natural scoring arsenal, but he has some tools/moves in a pinch that he can build off of moving forward.

I still think the goal for him should be some hybrid version of Mikal Bridges, Andrei Kirilenko, Jerami Grant, and Jonathan Isaac, but that isn't said to be a knock on him at all. That hybrid version would be an extremely valuable player, especially in today's league. I think that's what McDaniels already is -- evident by the amount of interest he has around the NBA.

PS: I do think he'll need to keep defending opposing guards for this defense to maintain its current defensive rating. Mike Conley Jr. -- the 35-year old version -- cannot handle the better offensive guards in this league. I often specify his age because the younger versions of him were very good defensively and a headache for the opposition. But he's very clearly lost a step. McDaniels will need to assume that role for a bit longer.

Good stuff

SameOldNudityDrew wrote:He is really good. I've especially been pleased with his ability to hit mid-range jumpers when needed. His length really does help him hit some of those midrange fade-aways that I used to cringe at anyone taking. I do wish his motor ran a just a little bit higher though. Maybe it's his length that's a bit deceptive in that regard, but sometimes it does look a like he could use a cup of coffee before the game and maybe another at halftime!

I like it when commentators state he is still scratching the surface. Like I've always said regarding his game, don't put a false ceiling on him. Let him find his target, and thankfully that appears to be what the coaches are doing.

lipoli390 wrote:One of the reasons, I'm eager to move on from Rudy Gobert is to ensure a roster that's aligned strategically and chronologically with our two top young talents - Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.

We already have a thread dedicated solely to Edwards and we all know his numbers the past 2-3 months have been elite to say the least. Not surprisingly, he's officially and NBA all-star. He's not consistent defensively, but he's shown he can be a lock-down defender and he forces a lot of turnovers. Part of his issue defensively is how much energy he's forced to expend on the offensive end. He's carrying the vast majority of the team's scoring load and also doing a great job crashing the boards.

The guy we don't talk about enough - the sleeper of the two - is Jaden McDaniels. You've all probably read the recent report that half the League's teams were interested in trading for Jaden. We all know that the Jazz wanted Jaden rather than all the picks in the Gobert deal. Now here's a recent quote from Conley about Jaden:

Christopher Hine: Mike Conley on Jaden McDaniels. "He's special. ... They ask a lot of him. Me coming in, I want to be able to spell him. He doesn't have to guard the point guard the whole game or whatever it is he feels he needs to do, and give him even more bounce, more energy." 7 hours ago - via Twitter ChristopherHine

When half the League wants your player, you should know you have something special. When a top notch vet praises that player in the way quoted above within days after coming to your team, that tells you something. We all know Jaden has developed a reputation as a defensive stopper. But look at his offensive efficiency - shooting 51% from the field and 37.4% from behind the arc albeit on limited attempts. Watching him, you can see flashes of elite slashing ability as his handle has definitely improved. He doesn't score a lot of points (11 per game), but that's largely because the team doesn't run plays for him. His rebounding numbers are still troublesome when you consider his size, athleticism and position. But everything else about his game is impressive and improving. I was hoping that he'd emerge as an all-star caliber player this season the way Ant has, but that probably wasn't a fair expectation given his role on the team. In any event, I'm convinced we have a really special player in Jaden who will only get better over the next few years. I think he'll be more than a terrific defender. I see him becoming a really good two-way player and potentially an all-star or borderline all-star if given the opportunity. He fits well with Edwards and KAT. I'm excited to see if he can thrive more offensively with Conley running the point.

As bad as this season has been and even though we don't have 1st-round pick this year, it's hard not to be excited about this team going forward with Edwards and Jaden here to build around. Meanwhile, KAT will be back and in his prime for a while yet. I'm not optimistic about the Wolves this season. But I remain optimistic about this team next season and beyond. TC will have to make a few shrewd moves over the next couple years, but the most important thing will be the continued development of Ant and Jaden.

I'd like to see more rebounding from McDaniels but when you say "rebounding for his position" well sometimes he is guarding a PG basically playing like a guard on D which is where you get your rebounds. Personally I think I've seen more pursuit and fight for balls this year in general from him. Sure for a guy his size etc you would like to see more rebounding but most of the time he doesn't play or is utilized as a bigger player. The exception to that is his rim protection either just being big or actually blocking shots.

He is a pretty unique player and I think his rebounding is more about something changing mentally than anything physically. One guy that kinda is comparable is Thad Young. It seemed like he would never be a plus rebounder. That changed at some point and he became a guy that put up legit rebounding numbers later in his career for a PF. I'm sure he got stronger but something else changed there.

I'll be pretty happy with a 6'10" elite perimeter and rim protecting guy that can keep defenses honest while growing his offensive game. He is definitely a guy that can pick some spots make a move and get a bucket now. It's nice to be right about a guy for once. :) McDaniels could end up being an elite role player even If he never becomes a scorer and that would be super valuable. Even though the Suns have Durant I think they are going to miss Bridges at times. Not having a guy like Cam Johnson available could hurt too.

So far it looks like the Wolves did make one correct calculation in the Gobert deal...keeping McDaniels.