Jaden McDaniels is quietly resurrecting a key part of the Timberwolves’ offense

Jaden McDaniels’ offensive leap has been well discussed. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward is averaging 15.5 points (a jump of 3.3 ppg from last year) while shooting a blistering 45.6 percent (a 12.6 percent jump from last year) from beyond the arc. However, one aspect of McDaniels’ game that hasn’t been discussed enough is his playmaking. Okay, I’ll admit that a 0.5 assist jump isn’t exactly groundbreaking.

Either way, McDaniels looks more effective with the ball in his hands, and his pick-and-roll efficiency has improved. One specific improvement this has led to is his two-man play with Rudy Gobert.

Shoutout to Charlie Walton of Zone Coverage for pointing this out. McDaniels had 18 assists for Gobert last year, and Rudy shot 18-for-41 when McDaniels passed the ball to him. This year, however, McDaniels has already provided fourteen assists for Gobert, and he has shot fourteen of eighteen on McDaniels’ passes. In fact, only Julius Randle has more assists for Gobert than Jaden.

The connection between Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert is huge for the Wolves

Gobert got off to a relatively slow start, averaging 9.7 points on just 5.4 field goals per game. After this, it was fair to wonder if the 33-year-old was starting to decline. However, over the past fifteen games, Gobert has averaged twelve points and 6.6 field goal attempts. McDaniels has played a large part in this revival.

Impressively, McDaniels ranks in the 94th percentile as a pick-and-roll ballhandler; only eleven players in the league rank above McDaniels in PNR effectiveness. Yet McDaniels’ PNR rate is only 9.0 percent. I have advocated for the Wolves to give McDaniels more power, and I will continue to do so. Using him more specifically in pick-and-roll situations would benefit Gobert and the team overall.

The Wolves are a different team when Gobert is involved. If Rudy has 10 or more points, the Wolves are 11-3. However, when Gobert scores fewer than 10 points, the Wolves are 4-6. Likewise, Gobert has 6.3 more touches per game in wins compared to losses.

If Gobert doesn’t play a role and/or the Wolves don’t get involved, opponents can put more pressure on Anthony Edwards. That’s why it’s essential to get him more involved in the attack, and strengthening McDaniels as a playmaker is a huge factor in that.

Overall, the duo of McDaniels and Rudy have a great net rating of plus 8.9. Of course, they are the Wolves’ two best defensemen. However, it’s nice to see that they’ve developed offensive chemistry and it’s leading to positive results for Minnesota.