After 'outstanding summer,' look for Jaden McDaniels to get more involved offensively

The Timberwolves want to build on McDaniels' standout playoff run.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) poses for photos on media day at Target Center in Minneapolis on Sept. 30, 2024. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Terrence Shannon Jr. had a welcome to the NBA moment of sorts the first time he was guarded by Jaden McDaniels.

"He was guarding me, and I ain't realize like how long his arms was and how good of a defender he was, I'm like, 'Damn,'" Shannon said of McDaniels at the team's media day on Monday.

Entering his fifth NBA season, McDaniels, 24, has already established himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. The Timberwolves featured the NBA's top-ranked defense a season ago, and McDaniels was one of the key contributors to the team's defensive identity. McDaniels was one of five Timberwolves players last season who finished in the top 20 for defensive rating, and McDaniels had an overall plus-minus of plus-156 on the season.

McDaniels will certainly be among the Timberwolves' most important defensive players again this season, but the team is also preparing him for a larger role offensively. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said he believes the team will see "a tremendous jump" from McDaniels this season. McDaniels' teammates tend to agree.

"I think everybody knows who's in the gym with us what he can bring to the table," Naz Reid said. "I think it's now time for him to just show it, and he can. He knows he can. Just showing that all-around game that you guys haven't really seen or fans haven't really seen, and how much it can help when, whether it just be hit a 3-point shot and play defense. I think he's ready. I've been with him a lot this summer like I've been the last few summers, so obviously, I've seen it firsthand.

"I think just going out there and actually being able to do it is the biggest thing."

Along with experiencing fatherhood over the summer — "It's cool seeing my son grow, and every day he looks different to me, and I sometimes just sit there and stare at him, be like, 'It's really my son.' I mean, it's a blessing, and I can't wait to bring him to the game so I can see him," he said — McDaniels has been in the gym grinding on his offensive game.

McDaniels has been working playing off the catch, the catch and shoot and has been even working on more of a playmaking roll off the dribble. McDaniels said his confidence is at an all-time high after his performances during last season's Western Conference finals run, and he feels ready for an increased offensive role this season.

"Just practicing the pick-and-roll and stuff or just learning like different reads from the low man or the tag guy," McDaniels said. "I feel like also getting the ball more — I'm an unselfish player I feel like, so even if I got it 100 times, I'm not gonna try and score every time. Just being unselfish, being an unselfish teammate is big for me and just willing to pass."

McDaniels has shown flashes of offensive brilliance, particularly during last season's playoff run. There was his 25-point performance in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns when he shot 10 for 17. Or his 18 points in Game 4 of that series on 6-for-12 shooting. McDaniels' offensive production was critical in closing out Games 6 and 7 of their second-round series against the Denver Nuggets, when he scored 21 and 23 points, respectively, on 8-for-10 and 7-for-10 shooting marks.

McDaniels carried that over to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, scoring 24 on 9-for-15 shooting.

It's pretty easy to see why McDaniels' confidence is at an all-time high following that type of run on the biggest stage. It's clear he has more to offer offensively after averaging 10.5 points per game on 49% shooting — 34% from 3 — last year.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said they want to see McDaniels build on the momentum from the playoff run. Finch often called McDaniels the "barometer" of the offense last season. When McDaniels was getting shots and scoring in the flow, it was an indication the offense as a whole was operating efficiently and effectively. But when those shots weren't coming and McDaniels wasn't getting involved, that was often a sign things were getting stagnant and out of rhythm.

But at the same time, it was a unique challenge to get McDaniels involved on an offense that featured an ascending superstar in Anthony Edwards and the best shooting big man in the league in Karl-Anthony Towns and other "high-usage" players, as Finch describes them. But with Towns being traded to New York, there figures to be more opportunities on the offensive end for McDaniels. Ultimately, Finch said it's on him to get McDaniels more involved offensively this season.

"I think, for sure, we all anticipate a big year from (McDaniels)," Finch said. "I think he's had an outstanding summer, one of the best ones that I've been able to see up close. He's been in the gym every single day. ... He's got to stay ready; he's got to do what he can in the flow. I think there's a little bit more that can be done there. He can help us in transition, he can help us on the glass, he's a really good cutter and mover off the ball. I can get back to a little bit more of that, but it comes down to me. I got to call his number, I got to put the ball in his hands. I do think there's some situations where I could see him as a playmaker for us now. And some of the assistants have been hitting me all summer that he's ready for that, and I think he's always been ready for that, it's just only so much usage to go around."