Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels showcasing elite defense

The 2024 NBA Playoffs have been a coming-out party for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They got matched up with a star-studded Phoenix Suns team in the first round, which would sometimes intimidate a younger, up-and-coming team as many would categorize Minnesota as being.

But, they didn’t bat an eye and handled business as you would expect a contending team to do. On Sunday evening, the Timberwolves picked up a 122-116 victory, completing their sweep of the Suns and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Timberwolves will be awaiting the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers for their next matchup. Before moving onto that series, however, some recognition needs to be shared about their first-round performance.

Minnesota knows their job is far from complete, but should take some time to appreciate what they have accomplished already. Defeating the Suns in the fashion they did was quite impressive as no one else suffered a sweep in the first round.

It was a total team effort by the Timberwolves, who received contributions from everyone up and down the roster. Anthony Edwards has been the headline grabber with highlight dunks and monster performances. But, he didn’t do it alone.

One of the players who stepped up big-time was Jaden McDaniels. Anything McDaniels provided offensively was icing on the cake as his defensive performance was on another level.

Matching up against the Suns is no easy feat. They have an explosive offensive trio in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal who can all create offense for themselves and their teammates.

McDaniels matched up with them throughout the series and more than held his own. His length and athleticism provide a difficult challenge to score on, as he dominated Beal and Booker. According to Legion Hoops, via StatMamba, McDaniels held Beal and Booker to 23.1 percent shooting in the NBA Playoffs.