{"id":715380,"date":"2026-04-21T20:06:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/715380\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T20:06:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:06:42","slug":"jaden-mcdanielss-shot-at-the-nuggets-reveals-a-bigger-defensive-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/715380\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaden McDaniels\u2019s Shot at the Nuggets Reveals a Bigger Defensive Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jaden McDaniels was in the mood for trash talk after the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets<\/a> in Game 2 of their first-round series on Monday night. After he hit the biggest shot of the night, the 25-year-old forward claimed basically everyone on Denver\u2019s roster is a bad defender. <\/p>\n

After scoring 14 points and dishing out three assists, McDaniels took aim at his opponents <\/a>when asked what the game plan was. <\/p>\n

\u201cGo after [Nikola] Joki\u0107, Jamal [Murray], all the bad defenders,\u201d he said. \u201cTim Hardaway [Jr.], Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team, just go at them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was asked if they were all bad defenders and took his shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, they\u2019re all bad defenders,\u201d McDaniels said. \u201cThey don\u2019t got people that can defend the rim. If [Joki\u0107] is there, we\u2019re still more athletic than them and just got to be able to finish when we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denver had the best offensive rating in the NBA as a team this season (121.2), but the other end of the floor was, and still is, an issue. <\/p>\n

The Nuggets\u2019 defensive struggles aren\u2019t a secret, they finished 21st in defensive rating as a team during the regular season at 116.0. Good defensive teams are in the 106 to 113 range, well below where Denver sits (lower is better). <\/p>\n

Perhaps more alarming are the numbers for individual players. <\/p>\n

McDaniels is right that Jamal Murray is worth attacking. His regular season defensive rating was 117.7. A strong NBA defender typically has a defensive rating around 112 or lower, and the average ranges from 113 to about 115. Peyton Watson (117.6) who missed Game 2 is another defensive liability, but he isn\u2019t the only one. Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas is another guy worth attacking given his 116.6 rating. <\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107 (115.3), Bruce Brown (115.2), Hardaway (114.9), Johnson (114.7) and Christian Braun (114.1) are all average-at-best defenders. While McDaniels pointed to Aaron Gordon, his 112.0 rating is actually decent. He\u2019s not the guy to throw into this group. <\/p>\n

After the game, Gordon seems to shrug off his opponent\u2019s trash talk, saying, \u201cBrother, I don\u2019t care.\u201d <\/p>\n

Aaron Gordon\u2019s response after being told that Minnesota is talking a lot of smack: <\/p>\n

\u201cBrother, I don’t care.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/Hq4CuwaXoW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In general, McDaniels is right\u2014the guys getting the most minutes for the Nuggets aren\u2019t great defensively. <\/p>\n

On the season, the Nuggets allowed opponents to shoot 45.4% in the paint, which ranked 22nd in the NBA. Inside five feet that jumped to 66.8%, which ranked 27th, and in the restricted area, that went up to 70.1% which also ranked 27th. McDaniels is right that if teams attack Denver in the paint and at the rime, they can have success despite the presence of Joki\u0107. <\/p>\n

On Monday night, Minnesota shot 48.0% from the field and 41.0% from three-point range in what was a stellar offensive performance against a defense that really struggled. All the while, Rudy Gobert locked things down defensively<\/a> in the middle, creating the perfect conditions for a Timberwolves victory. <\/p>\n

The Nuggets aren\u2019t going to suddenly get better defensively, which means they\u2019ll have to continue to outscore teams to win. In this series, Joki\u0107 and Murray have to be on their game offensively or Minnesota will continue to have the upper hand. <\/p>\n

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