When the 2025-26 season ended for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels had solidified himself as the second-best player on the team, overtaking Julius Randle.

The subtraction of Randle, but the addition of LaMelo Ball, has brought new excitement to the Timberwolves and taken pressure off McDaniels to be the second star alongside Anthony Edwards.

That doesn’t mean expectations are any lower for the seventh-year wing out of Washington.

McDaniels is one of the most versatile players in the league, a two-way force who has made big strides on the offensive side of the ball as a driver and creator.

But it’s on the defensive end that he separates himself from many in the league, with the ability to guard multiple positions.

His skill set on the defensive side has drawn praise from one of the greatest defenders of all time, with Kevin Garnett believing that McDaniels can win Defensive Player of the Year.

On his KG Certified podcast, the 12-time All-Defensive Player said of McDaniels, “At some point, Jaden McDaniels is going to win Defensive Player of the Year. He should, just because of his versatility. We always look at the blocked shots and that to be the signature of the Defensive Player. I think the Defensive Player award needs to morph. With the game being where it’s at, if you’re able to play one through four on the perimeter, that’s not normal. Especially with more guards. If you can do that, he should be in consideration.”

McDaniels will be expected to guard the best player on any given night, but also battle in the paint against smaller and more athletic power forwards.

McDaniels averaged one block and 1.1 steals last season, but his impact goes well beyond the numbers.

He’s had a positive Defensive BPM in the past four seasons and is one of the best wing players at challenging opponents at the rim.

McDaniels really showed his value in the playoffs, which is why so many people are high on his defense coming into this season. The Timberwolves were seven points better with McDaniels on the floor than they were with him off the floor during the playoffs.

They were also better with him on the floor than they were with Rudy Gobert (112.4 defensive rating with McDaniels on and Gobert off, 117.9 defensive rating with Gobert on, McDaniels off), which was a complete flip from the regular season.

In matching up against the top teams in the West like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets, the versatility of McDaniels can’t be overstated.