It’s become something of a rallying cry for the diehards of the Timberwolves fan base, born organically a couple of years ago during an interview with Anthony Edwards on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Asked about the Phoenix Suns trading for his childhood idol Kevin Durant, Edwards earnestly delivered a rebuttal that might’ve seemed farfetched at the time, saying, “You know, they got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.”
To put both players in the same sentence was a bit of a stretch a couple of years ago, when Durant was still very much at the peak of his powers, and when McDaniels was still working to find his footing in the NBA.
Not anymore. Just ask the Los Angeles Lakers.
To say that McDaniels proved his worth on Friday night at Target Center would be an understatement. He was a star on both ends of the floor in the playoff matchup, propelling the Timberwolves to a 116-104 win over the Lakers.
Not only did McDaniels serve as the primary defender for Luka Doncic, he was a force on the other end, as well, tying a career high with 30 points.
Asked about the way McDaniels dominated, Chris Finch summed it up perfectly with his response.
“Just a monster,” Finch said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
It’s not surprising that McDaniels was locked in on the defensive end considering that’s been his calling card throughout his career. The success that he had on the offensive end was rather unexpected.
“Just trying to stay in the flow of the offense,” McDaniels said. “Just playing with confidence, make or miss, and continuing to attack.”
The aggressiveness from McDaniels was on display as he got most of his buckets in and around the paint. Whether he was finishing strong at the rim, slashing through the lane, or nailing the little midrange jumper that he’s slowly starting to perfect, he consistently took advantage of his matchups against the lesser defenders being thrown at him.
The production from McDaniels was necessary as LeBron James tried his best to put the team on his back with Doncic battling a stomach bug. After looking every bit of 40 years old earlier in the series, James poured in 38 points with relative ease like he was still in his prime.
It wasn’t enough because McDaniels essentially matching him shot for shot throughout the game.
That wasn’t lost on Mike Conley as he talked about McDaniels in the locker room.
“We need more of it,” Conley said. “I don’t think he even understands how good he is.”
The win in Game 3 put the Timberwolves firmly in the driver’s seat with a 2-1 lead in in the series heading into Game 4 on Sunday afternoon at Target Center. The rest of the series could hinge on whether McDaniels can continue to play at such a high level.
It’s not a coincidence that McDaniels has been arguably the best player on the court for the Timberwolves in both of their wins. That’s because the Lakers don’t seem to have a good counter for him.
After an masterclass by Edwards in the clutch time, a 116-104 win, he started his press conference by immediately deferring credit elsewhere.
“I got two words: Jaden McDaniels,” Edwards said. “Just that simple.”
As impressive as Edwards was down the stretch, McDaniels actually hit the final shot of the game.
Maybe it was fitting given the circumstance.
It was a reminder that, yes, the Timberwolves got Jaden McDaniels, and that’s a problem for the Lakers.
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