Jaden McDaniels spoke during Minnesota Timberwolves practice on Saturday, ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The forward addressed scouting adjustments, defensive identity, and playoff experience.
McDaniels emphasized how different the matchup is compared to the previous round and pointed directly to preparation and pace. “We just got to really flip the switch on the scout wise and game plan. They’re totally two different teams. They play a lot faster than Denver. Just really diving into the scout and making sure we don’t make no game plan mistakes the first couple games and really just sticking together.”
He also pointed to playoff experience as a factor in handling quick turnarounds between series. “Yeah, it’s our third, fourth time in the playoffs consecutively and making it to the next round. I feel like it’s another challenge, but we’ve done it before. We played Lakers and we had to play Golden State with Curry. It’s not easy to flip, but if you’re all locked in and together, I feel like we could do it.”
Minnesota’s defensive focus has centered on controlling physicality and limiting second chances, something McDaniels tied directly to execution. He referenced past games where rebounding and fourth-quarter control shifted outcomes.
“We got to make sure you’re taking care of your body extra now. You might end up playing the whole game one game, not play a lot the next game. Just your recovery and then the conditioning you do in the summer and in season, it all leads up to that. But mostly the recovery stuff, just making sure your body’s all right.”
McDaniels also highlighted the Spurs backcourt challenge, especially facing De’Aaron Fox, who is averaging 20.2 points and 6.8 assists in the postseason. “He’s super fast. He likes to play in the mid-range. I like playing against him because I just like competing against him. I used to watch his highlights in high school. It’s just cool to be able to compete versus someone like that and we just got to slow him down.”
On team adaptability, McDaniels credited roster adjustments during the playoffs for building resilience. “I’ll say it made us better. It just really gave us a look for everyone just to stay ready and knowing that anytime it could be your opportunity.”
With Anthony Edwards listed week-to-week, McDaniels acknowledged a larger scoring responsibility but said the approach remains unchanged. “Feels regular to me. I got to the NBA by scoring and doing all that stuff. It’s nothing different really.”
He also described extended minutes in elimination-style games as manageable despite the physical load. “For me, not really. It’s fun just to be able to be on the court basically the whole time. It’s a blessing to be able to play that long without getting hurt.”
McDaniels closed by stressing emotional control and consistency through pressure moments. “I just got to stay confident, stay aggressive, and just continue to play free. No matter miss or make, just keep going. I know I put the work in, so it’s going to show.”
Minnesota enters the series looking to translate first-round physicality into another postseason step, with McDaniels playing a central role on both ends.
