McDaniels believes the Timberwolves have their deepest roster yet.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have quietly built one of the most complete rosters in the Western Conference, and Jaden McDaniels knows it.
When asked whether this is the deepest team he's played on in Minnesota, McDaniels did not hold back.
"Yeah, probably. I can't even remember how deep the other teams were, but I feel like our bench is pretty deep this year," McDaniels said. "I think 3 years ago, the year before KAT left, I think we had a deep bench, too. So, between them two teams, yeah."
A Roster Built for a Run
The 2022-23 campaign had pieces like Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, and Austin Rivers filling out the rotation behind Karl-Anthony Towns and the starters.
That team had real depth, but the current group might be even better after the moves the front office made at the trade deadline.
Sitting at 39-23 on the season, the Timberwolves hold the second seed in the Northwest Division and are firmly in the mix as one of the top teams in the West.
Their bench has been a big reason for that, with multiple guys who can come in and score or make plays on both ends of the floor without missing a beat.
Minnesota's front office deserves credit for putting together a group that can go 10 or 11 deep on any given night, which is the kind of roster construction that matters most when the postseason rolls around.
McDaniels Stepping Into a Bigger Role
While the bench has been strong, McDaniels himself has taken a huge step forward this season in a bigger role.
He is averaging 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting an impressive .525 from the field and .441 from three-point range through 60 games.
Those numbers are all career highs, and they show how much he has grown as a scorer and overall offensive player.
Last season, McDaniels put up 12.2 points per game while playing all 82 games, but this year he has looked like a different player on the offensive end.
His three-point shot has been the biggest change, as his .441 clip from deep is far and away the best mark of his career and it has opened up the rest of his game in a major way.
What makes his growth even more important is the fact that he is still doing all the things that made him valuable in the first place on the defensive end.
He is averaging 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season, and his length and ability to guard multiple positions continue to be a huge part of what makes this Timberwolves defense so tough to play against.
Looking Ahead
With the playoffs close, McDaniels and the Wolves feel like they have the depth and the talent to make a real push.
His confidence in this roster says a lot about where the team stands right now, and if the bench keeps playing the way it has all season, Minnesota could be a very tough out in the West when April comes around.