Preseason Proving Jaden McDaniels is Finally Ready to Break Out in Wolves' New-Look Offense

For years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have talked about increasing the offensive role of Jaden McDaniels. It was put on pause for a few seasons after the Wolves traded for Julius Randle, but now McDaniels' ascension is here.

McDaniels put up 22 points in dominant fashion in the Wolves' fourth game of the preseason against the New York Knicks, going 8-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. McDaniels got to the rim, knocked down midrange jumpers, and had his shooting touch dialed in from deep.

McDaniels has had special offensive stretches before, most recently in last year's playoffs when he averaged 16.3 points per game against the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. Now McDaniels seems primed to showcase his full offensive arsenal far more consistently.

LaMelo Ball could be key to unlocking McDaniels' offensive upside

The biggest reason to be optimistic about McDaniels taking on a larger offensive role is the addition of LaMelo Ball. While much of the focus around Ball's arrival in Minnesota has been on how his game will spotlight Rudy Gobert, it has gone under the radar how much Ball will make life easier for McDaniels.

Ball understands and has a knack for finding players who are hot and feeding them the ball. McDaniels' offensive game could be described as streaky, so having a player who is adept at forcing the ball to McDaniels during his hot streaks will greatly improve his overall production and efficiency.

Anthony Edwards is a sensational superstar. He had a phenomenal game against the Knicks, leading all scorers with 26 points, and is in line for a spectacular season in 2026-27. All of that said, he was miscast last season as a point guard, which often caused bouts of stagnation for the Timberwolves' offense.

That will almost certainly not be the case next season. If these preseason games are any indication, the ball movement from the Wolves' offense this season will be greatly improved compared to a year ago.

As two of the best shooters in the NBA, the gravity created by Ball and Edwards will open up shooting pockets for the rest of the team. Twice, Ball found McDaniels open for a three-pointer following a pick-and-roll with Gobert, where the man guarding McDaniels left him open to help contain Ball.

Knocking down open three-point shots will be key for McDaniels, who shot a career-high 41.2% from deep last season before making less than 24% of them during the playoffs.

With Ball feeding him shot-ready three-point looks, McDaniels should be able to keep his shooting numbers from beyond the arc north of 40%, instead of three of the four seasons before that, when McDaniels shot under 34%.

McDaniels has also shown an increasing ability to create his own offense, which is also aided by the spacing created by the existence of Ball and Edwards. Against the Knicks, McDaniels used screens from Gobert to get himself open for shots at all three levels.

A better-suited offense

McDaniels will also benefit from the added pace to the Timberwolves' offense. As arguably the most athletic players on the team, who is often guarding out on the perimeter, McDaniels could be in line for a large number of transition dunks in the Timberwolves' new lob-friendly offense.

In most games, McDaniels will be seen as the Wolves' third-best offensive weapon. While that is likely a fair assessment given the brilliance of Ball and Edwards on that side of the floor, it leaves a huge opportunity for McDaniels.

Very few, if any, have three high-quality perimeter defenders on the team. That means on any given night, McDaniels will likely see a mediocre-to-bad defender matched up against him. That has been happening often during this preseason, and McDaniels has taken advantage each and every time.

There was a time when opponents would hide their worst defender on McDaniels, who was seen as having a limited offensive game. Those days are long gone, as McDaniels, next to the Wolves' new starting lineup, looks to take the NBA by storm.

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