Today's All-Star Rookie Challenge kicks off. A number of NBA stars came to the scene to watch the game. The Timberwolves were selected for the Rookie Challenge with two stars, Edwards and McDaniels. Timberwolves center Towns came to the scene to watch, and he put on a McDaniels jersey to cheer him on. You know, Edwards didn't have this treatment. This year's NBA Rookie Game changed the format and was divided into 4 teams for 2 group showdowns, with McDaniels selected for Payton. As the 28th pick in last year's first round, McDaniels didn't do well. Otherwise he would not have been selected with this rank.
In the Second Round rookie challenge, McDaniels was probably payton's best performer, scoring the highest 12 points and shooting 50 percent from the field. With only one missed 3-point shot, McDaniels felt hot at the beginning of the game, showing his all-round side with a burst of shots. The Timberwolves are seventh in the West with 31 wins and 28 losses this season, and this result is a multifaceted effort of the team, and McDaniels is also a part of it. McDaniels has been doing well lately, not only winning downs' respect, but also getting praise from teammates like Russell. Towns and Russell are both rookies with high picks, who showed talent quickly after entering the NBA and were both selected as All-Stars. Earning their respect is not easy.
McDaniels is physically gifted, reaching 2.08 m tall and an arm span approaching 2 m 20. This season he has 9 points and 4 rebounds per game, and his playing time is only 26 minutes, which is not inefficient. McDaniels has a lot of bright spots on the offensive end, such as he has a very good inside cut and counter-attack ability, after all, the physical talent is here. His fixed-point projection also poses a certain threat. On the timberwolves, a young team, McDaniels can unleash his athletic talents perfectly.
Looking at the defensive end, the Timberwolves have improved very significantly compared to last season, and McDaniels has the potential to become a good defensive player. First, physical talent guarantees his defensive lower bounds. Secondly, he is very active on the defensive end and has a good ability to assist in preventing interference. He averaged 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Averaging more than three-point shots per game, he ranked in the league's top 30. In 26 minutes of playing time, it is very difficult to achieve this defensive output.
Today's rookie Game McDaniels played diligently on the court and defended seriously when he didn't have the ball. McDaniels is currently in his second year of his career at the age of 21, so we might as well think differently: If he doesn't get more playing time and shooting rights for the Timberwolves, he should be doing better. The Timberwolves currently have three excellent stars who have divided up a lot of ball rights, and McDaniels can focus on improving his defense at this stage, polishing his defense well, and there must be a lot of room for future improvement.
The Rookie Challenge is an opportunity for rookies to show themselves and learn. Today, with many high-ranking rookies competing, McDaniels should benefit a lot. McDaniels will play a very important role in the Timberwolves the following season, and the team can also develop him vigorously. The future of this young man is limitless, and readers, how do you think McDaniels is doing today? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below the article.