Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves overwhelm Suns on both ends en route to 2-0 lead

In the regular season, McDaniels averaged just 10.5 points per game, often serving as the Wolves’ fourth or fifth scoring option. The former Washington Husky showed off his shot-making on Tuesday night just when Minnesota needed it most. With an underrated mid-range pull-up and athletic dynamism attacking the rim, McDaniels has turned himself into a weapon playing off the catch.

McDaniels aggressively hunted his scoring opportunities in Game 2 as the ball continued to find him. He got to the rim on numerous occasions, the Suns’ penchant for poor closeouts providing him clear paths to the basket. Often defended by Kevin Durant, McDaniels has made a statement by at times out-dueling the future Hall-of-Famer in one-on-one matchups.

The largest offensive development for McDaniels on Tuesday was his work on the offensive glass. He averaged just 3.1 total rebounds this season despite great positional size and a massive wingspan. In Game 2, McDaniels channeled his aggression by rebounding the basketball, snagging five offensive boards and punishing missed box-outs with multiple put-backs.

After the game, coach Chris Finch praised the fourth-year forward, calling his performance “special” and even going as far as claiming it may have been the best game of his young career. Later, McDaniels was asked if he agreed with his coach’s comments on his big night.

“It’s close for sure. I mean, 25 points in the playoffs, there’s nothing more I can ask for. So yeah, it’s for sure one of them.”

McDaniels chose an excellent time to dominate offensively, but it wasn’t just his work on that end that pushed the Wolves to a 2-0 series lead. His dominance as a point-of-attack defender propelled Minnesota’s stellar team defense as well.

Timberwolves’ team defense shines again

While the Suns’ star trio draws a lot of headlines, the most important trio in this series so far has been McDaniels, Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Minnesota’s collection of perimeter defensive stalwarts have been the story through the first two games of the first round. It’s abundantly clear the Wolves’ physicality has gotten the best of Phoenix’s prolific scorers.

The top trait of Minnesota’s defense is their ability to switch small-to-small screens. While Phoenix tries to swing certain matchups, the Wolves can freely switch 1-3 with virtually zero disadvantages. When the Timberwolves have been in their drop pick-and-roll coverage, their absurd ability to navigate screens has been on full display. The Wolves’ stoppers have been able to stay connected to the Suns’ stars and force them into hitting, and oftentimes missing, tough jumpers.

All of those strengths are shown simultaneously in the following clip.

The Suns mustered just 95 points in Game 1 and 93 points in Game 2. Defensive versatility, connectedness and screen navigation continue to be the story for the Timberwolves as their magical season continues.

Rudy Gobert, the problem Phoenix can’t solve

It should be no surprise the league’s best defense has translated extremely well to the postseason. After all, “defense wins championships.” However, the Rudy Gobert critics have been radio silent through two games against one of the most potent collections of offensive talent in NBA history.

A massive difference from Gobert’s days with the Utah Jazz to his present-day job in Minnesota is the defensive personnel surrounding him. Rather than trying to play savior at the rim as his teammates get blown-by each possession, Gobert is now the closer for a well-oiled defensive machine.

Game 2 was a continuation of the first game of the series, the Wolves’ defense continuing to stymie Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The biggest change from the regular season for Minnesota has been Gobert’s activity at the level of the screen. Rather than solely dominating in drop coverage, the Wolves have willingly switched their defensive anchor out into space on Phoenix’s stars, ruining the Suns’ typically wonderful offense.

Attacking in isolation against the vast majority of centers is normally a winning proposition for Durant, Booker and Beal. However, that hasn’t proven the case for the Suns against Gobert.

The Stifle Tower has forced KD to miss two gimme layups at the rim, walled off Booker drives and forced Beal to settle for 15-foot contested jumpers. With the Suns so focused on attacking that “mismatch,” their ball movement—and player movement—has halted. The result has often been a series of contested twos as the shot clock winds down, allowing Minnesota to take complete control of the series heading into Friday’s Game 3 in Phoenix.