Jaden McDaniels will miss the Minnesota Timberwolves’ matchup with the Washington Wizards this Wednesday. He currently is sidelined due to a sprained left wrist. It’s the first game McDaniels has missed in almost two years. With his unrelenting court presence it’s a remarkable accomplishment, though notable all the same.
McDaniels’ absence comes on the heels of a bad game in which he played just 23 minutes. The Timberwolves earned a commanding 120-96 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. He left that game late in the third quarter, with Minnesota safely in control by 27 points at the time. Prior to the opening night contest, McDaniels had missed an extended period. Then he sat out eight consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle.
As one of the Timberwolves’ trusted ace perimeter defenders, McDaniels was leaned upon significantly thus far into the season. He’s having an impressive season, averaging 17.5 points per game. Oh, and he’s leading the entire NBA in 3-point shooting at an insane rate of 52.1%! Despite a steep learning curve, McDaniels blazed as an efficient scorer on a career-high shooting percentage. He dazzles with a field-goal shooting percentage of 55.3% and free-throw percentage of 84.2%, both well above his career norms during his six-year run in the league.
Durability has been one of McDaniels’ hallmarks, having played in 188 straight games before this funky injury. He appeared in 31 playoff games during the last two seasons combined. This was an important sign as it further established his value to the Timberwolves’ starting unit. His ability to impact the game in a major way on both ends of the court leaves his team painfully aware of the impact of his absence.
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