Timberwolves land Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels on NBA’s all-defensive teams

The Timberwolves were the NBA’s top defensive squad during the regular season, and Tuesday were rewarded with two spots on the league’s all-defensive teams.

Center Rudy Gobert, the league’s defensive player of the year, made the first team and forward Jaden McDaniels the second.

Orlando guard Jalen Suggs, a former Minnehaha Academy standout, was also on the second team.

This is the seventh all-defensive honor for Gobert and the first for McDaniels and Suggs.

“That’s the most important for me, just to see him get his first all-defensive team,” Gobert said about McDaniels. “He wants to be in the first team and I think he’s a top-five defender in this league. It’s good to get your first one and now he gets to show the world who he is every night on the biggest stage. So I’m really proud of him. … We definitely wouldn’t be here without him.”

The Wolves defense had the NBA’s top rating after finishing 10th in 2022-23. Gobert played in 76 games, averaging 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.13 blocks per game. McDaniels, in his fourth season, was in 72 games and averaged 10.5 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Only two other players — Kevin Garnett eight times and Jimmy Butler once — in Wolves history have been on the all-defensive teams.

The other first-team members were Bam Adebayo of Miami, Anthony Davis of the L.A. Lakers, Herb Jones of New Orleans and San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama. All but Jones are centers/big men.

McDaniels and Suggs were joined on the second team by Alex Caruso of Chicago, and Boston’s Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Wolves veteran point Mike Conley started and played normal minutes in each of his past two games back from a one-game calf injury.

“Getting better,” Conley said. “When you play 38 minutes, it’s going to be sore for a couple days. But after you get a lot of treatment, a lot of rest like I had the last few days, it feels really good going into the game. Then it’s just going to be one of those cycles you deal with.”

The NBA said Sunday’s Game 7 between the Wolves and Nuggets averaged 8.41 million viewers on TNT, truTV and Max (streaming), making it the most-watched first or second round playoff game ever on TNT Sports.