McDaniels Willingly Does the Dirty Work for Timberwolves

The former UW freshman forward helps Minnesota upset the reigning NBA champions.

One team revolved around arguably the best player in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who shoved in 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in one of his all-around outings.

The opponent on Wednesday night offered up Jaden McDaniels. A little shy still. Slender in his 6-foot-9, 185-pound build, which left him two inches shorter and 57 pounds lighter than the other guy. McDaniels was credited with 3 points in the box score.

Guess which side won?

That's right, McDaniels and his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates powered their way to a franchise-uplifting 113-108 victory over the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on the road.

McDaniels, the University of Washington one-and-done forward in 2020, once was labeled "selfish" by more than one Husky fan and team beat writer who watched him struggle as a college player. 

Well, it appears McDaniels has discovered his true basketball purpose in his second season in the NBA. He's started every game for the Wolves (3-1) so far. He played 32 minutes against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. He finished that outing with the following stat line: those 3 points; 1-for-3 shooting, all from 3-point range; 11 rebounds; 2 assists and a block.

“He’s got a high basketball I.Q. He plays really well off the ball. He can really pass, and we’ve seen that this summer from him," Wolves coach Chris Finch recently told Canis Hoppus. "It was good to see him make shots the other day. That needs to continue to improve for him. And trying to find him higher usage situations where he can play-make, but with our team, it’s not always easy to do because he’s a perfect player with that first unit in everything that he offers us."

Jaden McDaniels :: Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports

McDaniels gladly does the dirty work for rebuilding Minnesota, as does teammate Jared Vanderbilt, who supplied 10 points and 13 rebounds, while they let D'Angelo Russell lead them in scoring with 29 points. 

He hardly resembles the UW freshman who threw up poor shots and got physically manhandled at times before losing his starting position. He's in a much better place basketball-wise now.

“The [college and NBA] game is so different and oftentimes these players are used in such different ways," Finch said. "That can be that they’re overexposed to things they’re not overly comfortable with or underexposed to things that suit them well. In the league, to play as a young player, you kind of have a narrower channel, which things you’re allowed to do. But that first unit already has three high-usage guys. Trying to find those opportunities going forward will be key to his growth, and I think it’s something that we could try to benefit from.”

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky Maven stories as soon as they’re published.

Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven