Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels leaps over Nic Claxton for insane poster dunk appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jaden McDaniels is best known for his defense, but the Minnesota Timberwolves forward can still unleash plenty of offensive firepower on a given night. He showcased stellar instincts and strength in Saturday’s game versus the Brooklyn Nets. Seventh-year center Nic Claxton can unfortunately attest to the man’s skills.
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During a sloppy sequence, Terance Mann broke loose after a Julius Randle turnover but gave the ball back to the Wolves on an errant throw, paving the way for a thunderous play. Randle found McDaniels, who faked an alley-oop to Rudy Gobert before going up for an emphatic dunk against the retreating Claxton.
The Timberwolves surely had some residual frustration from their bitter overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Christmas, but a couple of more jams like that one, and they should at least feel a little better.
McDaniels is often considered Minnesota’s X-factor. Think about how many hypothetical phrases have been uttered about the 2020 first-round draft pick. “If he can just develop a consistent offensive game, this squad will be really dangerous.” Well, the time for speculation may be over.
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He has taken a clear leap forward. McDaniels is scoring a career-high 15.2 points per contest while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from behind the 3-point line. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle comprise a potent duo, but the Wolves need at least one more difference-maker on offense.
Jaden McDaniels is doing his best to carry that responsibility. The 2023-24 All-Defensive Second-Team selection is moving with an undeniable intensity. He had 10 points versus the Nets at halftime, but two of them especially stand out.
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