“I didn’t even want to come around the team,” McDaniels said as he walked down the Target Center hallway to his car. “It’s embarrassing that I punched a wall. It’s silly. I was down for a couple of days, for sure.”
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Naz Reid is his closest friend on the team. Reid also was injured for last season’s playoffs, giving him plenty of time to spend with his buddy while they rehabbed their ailments. While others wondered how McDaniels was handling his misfortune, Reid could tell that he was tied up in knots.
“I don’t even have to ask him, I kind of know,” Reid said. “I gave him his moment and we can talk about it after. Everybody goes through moments like that. It’s a growth and learning experience.”
“I was sick just watching them play,” McDaniels said. “I just felt like it would have been different if I got hurt playing, trying to battle. Just hurting myself, I felt selfish.”
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The increased activity wasn’t an accident, McDaniels said. It all stemmed from the helplessness he felt while watching last year’s playoffs with a cast on his right wrist.
“I felt like I owed them one,” he said.
The Timberwolves have had the No. 1 defense in the league all season long, but it has risen to another level in these playoffs. Gobert serves as the anchor, but it is the pack of Wolves on the perimeter who have given the Suns hell. McDaniels is the leader, devouring at the point of attack while being flanked by Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
“Every time I go on the court and I see them two, I just be like, ‘Who you wanna guard?’ ” McDaniels said. “It doesn’t matter which person we guard. It’s great to have. With Rudy behind us as well, I mean, it just makes it difficult for the other team.”
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During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio earlier this season, Edwards responded to a question about the Suns by saying, “They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.” The comment induced some chuckles at the time, but it has looked prophetic in the first two games of this series.
“Ant knows what he talkin’ about,” McDaniels cracked.
by sewsgup
21 Comments
Not wrong.
I’ll never understand this “I felt I owed them one”. So you aren’t scoring 29 on playoff games on purpose under normal circumstances?
Another low IQ player, who is luckily athletically extremely gifted.
It was absolutely a braindead move, and the dude doesn’t get a free pass for it, but he’s made up for it with his effort this year and it’s easy to forget how young he is (23). Glad to see he’s grown from it and used it as a source of motivation to both push himself harder but also be a smarter player/teammate.
This is the redemption arc we had hoped for, being able to channel his negative emotions into the game instead of being driven out of the game by it.
That was one of the stupidest self sabotage things I’ve seen a player do but it’s crazy how much this Timberwolves team matured and changed their lane from last year. Impressive stuff
Great to see (and read)
Naz needs his playoff moment next.
You do owe them one, now fking go for the chip
Pack of wolves on the perimeter
Is goat level writing.
I’m hyped for a (fingers crossed please god) fully healthy Nuggets / Wolves rematch even though that series is going to take 10 years off my life
You know what, he was 22 and in that moment acted like child, but he learned from it and he grew and now he’s 23 and he looks like a 10 year vet. Much respect.
People are still sleeping on his D. Dude is a spider-crab hybrid of defensive prowess.
The night of punches
Amare Stoudemire punched a fire hydrant so Jaden McDaniels could punch a wall
Respect your history
The biggest thing for McDaniels is just growing up. At 23 I was emotional and couldn’t handle things nearly as well as I can at even 27. The tech in game 2 was an example that he needs to continue to learn to play within himself but this quote shows his self awareness and desire to grow, IMO that’s huge.
That Wolves team was obviously not really going anywhere serious last year, so this was definitely a good development for them long term. Moral of the story, start punching inanimate objects.
Suns might need to have a moving wall in his face to bait him into punching it and been out for the season. 🤣
W for taking accountability
Amare Stoudemire type beat
Get some sandbags jeez. Did these dumbass players learn nothing from Amare and Lebron?