Jaden McDaniels is proud of the Timberwolves' connection.
NBA teams spend nearly every day with each other during the season and the bonds that they foster can sometimes last a lifetime.
Between games, practices, travel and team dinners, players and coaches start to learn everything about each other and with the amount of time that teams share the same spaces, if they ended up not liking each other at the end of the day it could result in some major problems.
Luckily for the Minnesota Timberwolves, they don't have that problem. In fact, it's quite the opposite for them. They're a team that truly loves each other and get along with each other and it's that connection that's proved to be one of their biggest strengths in both the regular season and now, the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (21) reacts with forward Cameron Johnson (23) in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesA Family in Minnesota
"We all enjoy being around each other. It don't matter who's in the locker room. It could just be me, Joan [Beringer] and Rocco [Zikarsky] sitting there and we'll still talk," Jaden McDaniels said (via Timberwolves). "Being together and checking in on each other. As soon as you come in here... everyone's joking, laughing."
That kind of connectivity doesn't just make the long haul of the regular season easier, it shows up on the court too.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Jaden McDaniels (3) help up forward Julius Randle (30) after a foul by the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at Target Center. Matt Blewett-Imagn ImagesChemistry is crucial in any sport, but it's possibly most vital in basketball where there are so few players on the floor and movement between them is key.
A connection off the court often translates to a connection on it and that's certainly what Minnesota has.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) reacts from the bench in the second half against the Denver Nuggets during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesSticking Together
It shows up in adversity as well. As the Timberwolves' series against the Denver Nuggets progressed, the Timberwolves key players like Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu to injury.
If there was ever a time for the Timberwolves to fracture and give up, that would have been it.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) talks with guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) during a free throw by the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at Target Center. Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn ImagesInstead, they rose and the players that remained healthy on the team, McDaniels especially, stepped up to pick up the slack and it resulted in a series win.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch credited the team's confidence to their ability to meet the moment, but that confidence is built on the family-like atmosphere that's been cultivated in the locker room.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) and guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) before game five against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesA team that cares about each other, trusts each other, is a team that can be confident in each other and in themselves, no matter how difficult the moment becomes.
The Timberwolves are a better example of that than most and it's that connection that could take them deep into the playoffs.