Timberwolves find success comes when Jaden McDaniels is involved

If there was a game to typify what the Timberwolves might need from Jaden McDaniels the rest of the season, it was Monday's win over Dallas.

There was the staunch defense, when McDaniels and Anthony Edwards teamed up to prevent Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic from getting a shot off in the final seconds to preserve a three-point victory.

His defense has drawn plaudits ever since McDaniels cracked the rotation his rookie season, with guard Austin Rivers saying McDaniels deserved some league-wide recognition.

"We have the best perimeter defender in the NBA," Rivers said. "His ability to guard not only quick guards, but big guards, I don't think there's anyone that can do it better than him. It starts with him. … I think he should be first team [all-defensive team]."

But it was also a night McDaniels had an efficient night on the offensive end of the floor: 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting to go with two steals and a block on the defensive end.

"Just being active," McDaniels said of his offensive night. "Offensive rebounding and being ready to catch and shoot and just staying on the glass. I feel like being active on the glass made it easy tonight."

McDaniels was able to have two putbacks that contributed to his total. That's one way in which McDaniels might find the ball in his hands more going forward.

There are going to be more chances for McDaniels to make plays, at least while Karl-Anthony Towns is still recovering from a right calf injury. That's because point guard Mike Conley comes in with a lower usage rate this season than former Wolves guard D'Angelo Russell, and McDaniels may be one of the players who will get up more shots and have more chances to make things happen off the dribble.

"A few things we're finding out early on, post-trade, is the ball is really moving and guys are finding it earlier in the offense than maybe they have done," coach Chris Finch said. "So they have to be ready and aggressive to shoot, play off the catch, make plays for others. All those type of things. It's just a different rhythm."

The Wolves often liked to say McDaniels was a bellwether of their offense; if he got touches and shots, they often came in the flow of the offense and it meant the ball was moving as it should.

Those touches may come earlier and more frequently.

"We had good ball movement before, but it was a different rhythm," Finch said. "It was more centered around the guards now, more dispersed evenly, I think. Jaden is going to be the beneficiary of that, as well as others."

On the defensive end, McDaniels continues to burnish his reputation. Among forwards, he is in the 97th percentile for blocks and 79th for steals, according to the statistical website Clearing the Glass. After Monday's game, Doncic said he was surprised McDaniels tipped the inbounds pass to disrupt the Mavericks' final possession. He then called McDaniels, who he has squared off against often, a "great" defender.

But now McDaniels may be adding greater offensive responsibilities to his workload, something that isn't always easy to do.

"It's a struggle, you know? There's not a lot of people in the NBA that are actually true, two-way players," Rivers said. "Most guys are one-way players who can do the other at times. … There's not a lot of guys that do that. Jaden's also trying to find himself in the offense. I feel like when he does play and when he does score, I think we play better, so we want him to keep being aggressive."