[Old Generals] The newcomer who is being questioned! Pippen in the new era!

In 2020, when Minnesota fans welcomed their third No. 1 pick in the millennium, Edwards, perhaps no one thought at the time that this young man who once publicly said that he preferred football would become the Michael Jordan in their hearts a few years later.

In that year, with the 28th pick in the same draft, there was another name that was ignored: Jaden McDaniels.

A seemingly inconspicuous first-round pick, but a few years later, it became an important puzzle piece in the rise of the Timberwolves.

Looking back at McDaniels in high school, he was bursting with talent. Standard power forward height, excellent coordination and explosive power allow him to aspire to be a five-star high school student and the number one power forward in the United States. At that time, he was almost booked as a future lottery pick.

But after entering the University of Washington, everything began to go downhill. Although his averages of 13.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game don't look bad, his biggest problem is his mind. He is too impatient and wants to prove himself too much. He often makes incredible shot choices on the offensive end. On the defensive end, he likes to rush forward to steal and give away free fouls. At one time, he was even the king of technical fouls in the league.

What was originally a top talent has gradually been negatively labeled as an emotional risk. Not surprisingly, he fell directly from a rising star who was originally considered to be in the top ten to a position at the end of the first round.

On draft night in 2020, the Timberwolves selected Edwards with the No. 1 pick, and then signed McDaniels at the end of the first round. It didn't matter to Timberwolves fans at that time, they might have gotten their own Jordan and Pippen.

The Timberwolves' 2020 season is in turmoil: the epidemic shortened the season, the coach was fired, and the lineup was frequently reorganized. In such an environment, it is almost impossible for rookies to develop. Edwards, the No. 1 pick, proved himself through hard-hitting offense, while McDaniels shone quietly at the other end.

Faced with star attackers such as Doncic, Harden, and Randall, the continuous defense produced an efficient performance that made the new coach Chris Finch shine.

"His influence on the defensive end is as special as Edwards on the offensive end."

This is the first time Finch has publicly praised him. At this time, the Timberwolves' future blueprint was gradually beginning to take shape, with Edwards in charge of offense and McDaniels in charge of defense. Everyone was looking forward to the twin stars leading the team out of the cold winter.

In the second season, Finch hopes that McDaniels will not only be a defensive specialist, but also give him more organization and breakthrough tasks. He also began to work hard on offense, gain muscle, and hone his skills during the offseason. But once the season started, problems seemed to begin to arise again.

This defensive sharpshooter wanted to express himself too much, but instead let himself fall into an old college problem, taking too many shots and taking too fast shots. In the first 36 games of the season, he committed 119 fouls, which was even more than the 103 goals scored. The three-point shooting percentage dropped from 36% to 28%, and he even lost his starting position.

Of course, head coach Finch did not give up on him completely.

"He is not a shooter, he is a basketball player. Keep taking shots and the ball will naturally go in."

Finch even deliberately put him into the second team to give him more rights to hold the ball. It was also this year that McDaniels regained his confidence on the bench and allowed the coaching team to see his growth potential. In his third season, his three-point shooting percentage increased to 39.8% and he returned to the starting lineup again, but the team's record gradually became unstable.

The team traded for Gobert in order to go further and create a twin-tower lineup that went against the times. Unfortunately, the chemical reaction was not ideal. Towns was injured, Gobert was not suitable, and the team system was sluggish. That year, McDaniels also experienced the lowest point in his life.

After a loss, he punched the wall angrily and suffered a fracture. He eventually missed the playoffs and could only watch the team be eliminated by the Nuggets. It was at that moment that McDaniels perhaps truly realized:

His biggest enemy is never his opponent, but his emotions.

In the summer of 2023, the Timberwolves still chose to believe in him and handed over a five-year, US$136 million contract. And McDaniels didn't disappoint. The Timberwolves suddenly became the strongest defensive team in the league, with Gobert on the inside and McDaniels on the outside.

Whether it is one-on-one defense, assisting defense, or quick defense changes after the pick-and-roll, his footwork and defensive judgment are almost perfect. The Timberwolves also had the lowest points allowed and the highest defensive efficiency in the league that year. After the season, McDaniels was successfully selected to the All-Defensive Second Team of the season.

In terms of personal statistics, the Timberwolves also entered the playoffs as third in the Western Conference, and their opponent in the first round was Edwards' idol: Kevin Durant.

"They have KD and we have Jaden."

Although Edwards' words seemed like a joke, the result surprised everyone. The Timberwolves swept the Suns 4-0, pushing the Suns, who averaged 116 points per game in the regular season, down to 102 points per game. In that series, McDaniels' defense was like a high wall, making it extremely difficult for Durant to play. In the second round, they faced last year's nightmare again: the Denver Nuggets. After the first five games, the Timberwolves trailed 2-3. McDaniels felt cold and shot only 16% from three-point range.

But at the critical moment of life and death, this defensive sharpshooter broke out again. In the sixth and seventh battles, he scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, and eliminated the defending champion in two consecutive games.

After the game, Edwards sighed excitedly:

"I said he is the MVP of our series, and he proved it again."

In four years, this sharp-shooter went from a "high-risk player" to the most reliable person in the playoffs. From being questioned to being trusted, McDaniels' growth just represents the epitome of the Timberwolves' revival..

To borrow the words of head coach Finch:

"He is growing every day. He can now defend the opponent without fouling and can contribute more."

And Edwards has never concealed his respect for this partner. When people put all the spotlight on him, he would say:

"Without Jaden, we couldn't have gotten here."