Number Crunch: Jaden McDaniels Is An All-NBA Defender

In this episode of Jake Paynting’s post-game Number Crunch, the focus is all about Jaden McDaniels and the statistical case for him to be on an All-Defense team — and specifically on the wing of the first team.

Sure, the Wolves lost to the Denver Nuggets in heartbreaking fashion. Sure, it was another night where their fourth-quarter offense let them down. Hell, there is no getting around that this season has been a disappointment as a whole. But, bubbling away underneath all of those things is the magical rise of McDaniels into one of the league’s absolute best perimeter defenders.

We all see it with our eyes — and he was brilliant once again in this game with three blocks and a number of ridiculous defensive possessions both on and off the ball — but the underlying numbers are almost even more impressive.

From the bevy of on/off numbers that pop, to the catch-all metrics that analysts love to present, all the way to the in-the-weeds individual defensive stats. This episode of Number Crunch has them all laid out in a bite-sized podcast you can smash out without having to relive the horror of last night’s fourth quarter.

And that’s what Number Crunch is all about. If you haven’t listened to Number Crunch this season, it’s a 10-15 minute post-game wrap that uses one specific number to anchor a point or a trend that we’ve seen throughout a game, stretch of games, or even the season as a whole. If you enjoy the episode, please consider adding it to your regular podcast feed or leaving a review or rating. It helps grow the podcast and the podcast community.

If this podcast or any of Jake’s work interests you, he runs a Timberwolves newsletter called Howls and Growls.

(If you can’t access the Spotify player above, click here to listen to the latest episode on Spotify - or search for the Canis Hoopus Podcast on Apple Podcasts)