Inside The Huskies

Jaden McDaniels Left Off All-Defensive Team

The former Husky was snubbed by All-NBA voters

Roman Tomashoff

Jaden McDaniels Left Off All-Defensive Team
Jaden McDaniels Left Off All-Defensive Team /
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Former Husky Jaden McDaniels has been on an upward trajectory for his entire NBA career. After being picked 28th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft, he has done nothing but improve during every year of his career.

During the 2022-23 season, he averaged a career-high 12.1 points while shooting 51.7% from the field and 39.8% from behind the three-point line. However, those numbers aren't nearly as impressive as what he did on the defensive side of the ball.

While consistently being tasked with the opposition's best scorer, the 6-9 forward was the only player in the NBA to record over 75 blocks and 70 steals on the year. Despite those numbers, McDaniels was not selected for either All-NBA defensive team.

Believe it or not, the vote wasn't close. McDaniels came in a stunning 41 points behind the Toronto Raptors' OG Anunoby, who took the fourth and final spot on the second-team All-Defense.

"He led all wings in block rate, dropped opponents’ expected shooting at the rim by 7 percent and spent the most time guarding All-Star players of any defender in the league," wrote The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, furthering McDaniels' case.

As he and the youthful Timberwolves continue to improve, the still 22-year-old McDaniels will almost certainly find himself on multiple All-Defense teams over the course of his NBA career. He's on the right trajectory to also earn himself a massive payday when his contract expires after the 2023-24 season.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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