On March 14, 2016, Kawhi Leonard [explained](http://Jaden McDaniels Has Had A Mini "Leonard Leap") why he has such a quiet demeanor.
“I don’t like to bring attention to myself,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I don’t like to make a scene.”
Leonard earned his first All-Star appearance in 2016. He would win his second Defensive Player of the Year award and finish second to Stephen Curry in Most Valuable Player voting.
At 24 years old, Leonard established himself as one of the best defenders in the 2010s and a rising star in the NBA. He averaged 21.2 points per game, a 4.7-point increase over the previous season. Leonard’s 1.8 steals per game, 1.0 blocks, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists were near his totals from the previous year. His scoring numbers alone made his improvement undeniable.
A year before arguably his best season as a pro, Leonard showed a less significant jump in scoring, going from 12.8 points to 16.5, while establishing himself as a dominant defender during the season and in the playoffs. It’s similar to what Jaden McDaniels has done this season in the same robotic demeanor.
After making second-team All-Defense last year, McDaniels has been crucial in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ quest to make it to a second consecutive Western Conference Finals.
On the surface, McDaniels’ jump is not as monumental as Leonard’s. McDaniels’ points per game during the season only improved by 1.7. However, he averaged 2.6 more rebounds per game than last year, 2.0 total assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.
Still, the similarities lie in 2014-15. Before Leonard’s breakout season, he shot 47.9% from the field and 34.9% from three, only slightly better than McDaniels’ 47.7% and 33% from distance.
Admittedly, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s state the obvious. Offensively, there are undoubtedly things Leonard could do in 2015-16 that McDaniels has not proven capable of. For example, being the leading scorer on a San Antonio Spurs team that was changing from the Tim Duncan era to a more modern style of basketball focused on Leonard and three-point shooting.
However, defensively, at least, McDaniels showed a Leonard-like surge in the regular season. His defensive win shares improved from 3.1 to 3.9. (Leonard’s was 4.4 in his first DPOY season.) McDaniels’ steal percentage, block percentage, and defensive plus/minus all improved over the last year.
Perhaps most encouraging is that McDaniels has built on this like Leonard did in 2015-16 and has improved drastically in the postseason. He has been a defensive menace in the Golden State Warriors series and has seemingly leveled up in his ability to shut down anyone in the NBA.
Minnesota’s defense has been excellent in the postseason. They are posting a 106.4 defensive rating over their last nine games. McDaniels is posting an even more impressive 103.4 defensive rating in the playoffs. They improve by 3.1 points throughout the playoffs when McDaniels is on the court. However, against Golden State, McDaniels’ defensive rating is 100.7. For context, that’s 5.9 points better than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 106.6 defensive rating, and they were the league’s best defense in the regular season.
To find a regular-season defensive rating better than Jaden McDaniels has played against Golden State, you must go back to Leonard’s 2015-16 Spurs. In the playoffs that season, Leonard posted a similarly remarkable 101.7 in ten games on his way to the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City.
However, therein lies the comparison. McDaniels is doing Leonard-level things on defense. McDaniels has effectively acted as a lockdown cornerback in the NFL by shutting down his matchups in the playoffs.
Against the Los Angeles Lakers, McDaniels’ two primary matchups struggled. When McDaniels guarded Luka Doncic, he was 18 of 39 from the field, and 4 of 14 from three, and McDaniels had five steals. It was the same story for Austin Reaves. He was 2 of 8 from the field and 2 of 7 from three. McDaniels had two more steals and forced four turnovers.
McDaniels has gotten even better against Golden State. Jimmy Butler is 3 of 7, 0 of 2, and McDaniels forced a turnover in 22:30 of game time. Brandon Podziemski is 3 of 7, 2 of 2 for three, and McDaniels forced another turnover. Buddy Hield is 3 of 10 and 3 of 8 from three.
Against Golden State, McDaniels is holding all his matchups combined to 36.2% from the field and 36.2% from three.
As Minnesota looks to finish off Golden State and move on to the Western Conference Finals, McDaniels becoming a Leonard-like defender in the postseason has become a crucial reason the Wolves can grind out wins when their offense is struggling.
The next series will offer another large test for McDaniels, either defending MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or a surging Jamal Murray. McDaniels will likely embrace the challenge. Minnesota’s championship hopes rest on his success defending them.