Jaden McDaniels says Victor Wembanyama is the greatest defender he’s ever played against
Mcdaniels talking about bad defenders and then how happy he sounds talking about great defenders.
Game recognize game lol
Humble af. I hope he uses it to light a fire internally to improve.
He’s been getting noticeably better every year
I’m sure it’s motivating
Too bad he doesn’t hate the Spurs enough where he could have taken over one game
I think he still has a step in him to become a legit 2nd option.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the top 3 Dpoty standings in the future
For real lol. Seemed like he had no joy calling out the Nuggets players, just deadpan. Dude’s as close to elated here as I’ve ever seen him.
I’ll root for Jaden forever now
Mans is the sole reason we don’t have to listen to Jokic as GOAT center as a legitimate conversation for at least 4 months
listen to Jokic as GOAT center as a legitimate conversation
Honestly I hope this kills the discussion. Rim protection is so important, and there is such a narrow window of success and roster building to cover for a center who is a negative defender. I understand that Jokic is a generational offensive player, but its becoming increasingly obvious that early round exits are the norm, not an exception.
hes also got his son with him, which im sure makes it tougher for him to just deadpan 100% during the media even if he wants to.
I agree. I think happy, proud dad whose season (and responsibilities/stress) is now finally over.
Going to the Spurs wings and Wemby from Jamal and Jokic must be the biggest defensive whiplash lol
Ayo and TJ were averaging like 30 that series even off the bench. Shit was crazy
absolutely makes him 100x more likeable, to admit that and in that tone.
People think he’s a hater but actually he just be saying what he thinks
I’ve never seen him more relaxed and happy but I’d attribute that to him holding his son
That’s how you know he meant it
Yeah, I like this dude. Respect the Twolves a lot. They really pushed the Spurs and I know they’re a better team for it now.
I must be stupid because I can’t decipher the first half of this sentence.
the defense sommelier
“The Sommelier” goes hard hold on
“D Sommelier”
Pause
Nah fuck that, resume
Out here just whiffing, sniffing and testing the opposing D
Why you coming home 5 in the morn Something’s goin on can I smell yo dick?
Do you like an oaky afterbirth?
Wait
Huge fan of good D.
A true DRTG connoisseur.
Well, Wemby is gonna go down as the best defender of all time (barring injuries).
You’re good, Jaden.
Its hard to imagine anyone else winning dpoy over the next idk 10 years (barring injury of course)
A lot can change in 10 years. KD was still on the Thunder 10 years ago
Also 65 game rule will surely jeopardize this, he barely made it at 22
I don’t think that rule will stick around. The usage and pace superstars have to play now is too much for a lot of them. If the top 3 players don’t qualify, the awards eventually become meaningless
They’re already making exceptions for players, I don’t think the 65 game rule is gonna last much longer, it’ll at least get moved to like 60 or something
That’s what I’m thinking. That and a minimum minutes goal for players who randomly have 12-15 minutes games
I mean, they already have minimum minutes built in to the 65 game rule. If they wanted more minutes they wouldn’t have set the threshold at 20.
I’m wondering if we will see great players move to contenders more, not to ring chase, but to have a deeper roster so that they can still get to the playoffs while also playing less minutes.
Shai being able to sit in 4th quarters during the regular season has got to be so nice for his overall health. And Wemby of course on his minutes restrictions, although that was due to an injury.
Play enough to show you are an MVP/DPOY/all-star, and then take a seat while your bench holds or even extends the lead you gave them while you were on the floor.
I think that makes sense, I could definitely see a world where stars, especially older ones, make the calculation in choosing a team. It also just keeps them fresher for the playoffs
What i am interested in seeing is if players will take pay cuts to do that. It might be worth it to take a few mil pay cut for a few years to increase your chances of staying healthy and getting another large pay out after the current contract.
Especially if you’re a max or near max contract player, why not take a few million less to drastically increase your chances of getting another huge contract. Especially if you think the team will use that money to get players that give you a better shot at a ring, all of a sudden a few million dollars off seems like a small price to pay.
it’ll go to minutes played
I think we’ll also see a mins qualification so there is multiple different ways to meet the requirements
id venture if he goes deep enough this year and sees the difference in levels of competition, he is gonna do more than just be on minutes restrictions in the regular season and will likely go down a gear to take it easier during the semi irrelevant games. still enough just being there to be dpoy but also just easier on his body etc.
only months ago okc was supposed to become a dynasty now they are going to be the team that plays second fiddle to the spurs for the next 5 years
Only thing that won’t change is the wolves winning the chip. Not gonna happen sadly
Okay, but Wemby is so far above everyone else that he would have to seriously regress to stop being the DOPY favorite. So barring some career-ending injury (knock on wood), that does not seem likely.
The only thing stopping Wemby is voter fatigue.
Health is a far bigger concern
Bodies aren’t supposed to be that size and shape. Wemby is not injury-prone, he’s physics-bound. And those might look very similar.
Credit to Wemby because I think he has taken the absolute maximum steps possible to be healthy for his body’s size and type. His flexibility is beyond any other basketball player I’ve seen. He clearly cares a lot about his health and has taken every precaution.
But every fall is from higher, every force is amplified through his longer levers. Everything his body has to do from breathing to circulation to bearing weight is on a larger and more strenuous scale.
I think the difference to similar voting fatigue type situations is he is so far superior to the second best defender in the league. The gulf is enormous
Now that you mention it. Who even is the second best defender in the league?
Chet or gobert consensus
His son Chet according to odds. I would argue it’s Gobert.
If they didn’t get fatigued on Gobert winning DPOY they won’t get fatigued of Wemby. Injuries are the only thing stopping this dude.
They got fatigued. Marcus Smart won dpoy.
And JJJ
And Mobley
With people regarded as the one of the ‘greats’ voter fatigue isn’t as impactful. The way people speak about Wemby now, and if he keeps it up, is up there with the GOATS of sport like Messi and Tiger etc. They were spoken about as just unfathomable so the award (whichever one they are always in the running for) basically is guaranteed unless someone has a year where they are suddenly rivalling them or they have an ‘off’ year, a year that for anyone would be ridiculous still. Because he would have won DPOY last year and arguably should have won it in his first season too. Basically what I’m saying is voter fatigue ls reserved for those knocking on the door of one of the greats (Embiid, Giannis, Jokic rn) but for those who are just better it doesn’t matter as much.
same reason LeBron didn’t win like 8-10 mvps
Also to protect their friend Michael Jordan. Cannot allow any newer player to get more MVPs than the guy they play golf with
And load management/injuries
I could last one round in the ring with 50 year old Mike Tyson (barring injury of course)
Depending on whose injury, I also could.
I could last 12 rounds…just tie his hands to his balls.
His block total will be unreachable (barring injuries)
It depends. If Giannis goes to the Spurs, I can see teams just at f it, and never ever drive to the basket because it’ll be basketball suicide.
Great corners in the NFL don’t get thrown at and win awards
he won’t thank god. superteam construction is over and was never really san antonio’s thing
Weird stuff happens. Nobody would have thought Marcus Smart would win dpoy over Gobert before he did
Wemby fatigue is coming. It’ll be probably 3-5 years but its definitely gonna set in within the next 10 years. People dislike greatness eg lebron and curry. Also you have the Thompson twins who will snag one and they are also being highlighted by the league.
The voters have been itching to give Wemby DPOY since he was a rookie. Things are different for him the voters want him to win.
65 game rule gonna mess that up
Let’s see. Still has a way to go to catch Bill Russell imo
Bill Russell obviously has more career accomplishments.
But IMO current Wemby is already the best defensive player to ever step foot on this planet.
Which means that current Wemby is already better than peak Bill Russell (on defense)
Totally agreed, it’s legit insane to watch Wemby play defense. He makes defense more entertaining than offense lol, never seen anything like it.
Ok but who here actually watched Russell. Like you might be right but idk lol, Russell has every powerscaling feat in the book
Well we just don’t know do we? How many saw Bill Russell play back in the day? Probably nobody that’s on Reddit.
We do have some footage so we can see that he’d probably be able to keep up athletically with modern day athletes. But would he be as skilled as Wemby is with modern day training is the question.
In raw talent and for this era probably, though I think it’s fair to say Russell had the biggest impact on any era defensively we’ve seen so far.
Yea we all remember the impact Russell had when he came in the league
I mean, we don’t need to have seen it to know that Boston were 6th (out of 8 teams) in defensive rating the season before he joined and jumped to 1st in his rookie season. They were 1st in drtg for 12 of his 13 seasons.
That aside, it’s common fucking sense to understand how impactful he was. There was no 3PT line so guys took shots closer to the rim…and that just so happened to be where Bill lurked lol.
He kept the ball in bounds on most of his blocks and was an ATG def rebounder so he was ending OPP possessions.
It’s a joke
Both flairs check out
I’m 54 and I don’t remember… unless he’s talking about Westbrook.
Reddit on fellow boomer!
It’s not rocket science to guesstimate Russell’s impact lmfao
Rules and spacing were a lot different. And if you go back even before, you would find that Mikan was even more impactful before goaltending was banned because the guy was literally allowed to play goalie.
George Mikan never played professionally where defensive goaltending was allowed. It was banned in college because of him, and the pros before he got there
Wemby in that era would be average 10 blocks a game
More lol
I think for now it’s safe to say he will break the DPOY record
Maybe but I would have assumed LeBron would break the MVP record after what he did as a 22 year old ago against the Pistons in the playoffs (same age as Wemby), with the Pistons probably having the same reaction as these Wolves players. So it’s not guaranteed since a lot can change. I’m also saying this because we still know LeBron went on to become a top 2 player of all time but just didn’t break the MVP record.
West is basically fucked between OKC and Spurs
Best player of all time FTFY
Holy shit this guy smiles? Lots of respect for his game.
Wemby so good at defense it made Jaden smile lol
Wemby’s skills are so crazy, I think he’ll eventually be the first with 10 3-pointers & 10 blocks in a game.
that’s such a ludicrous stat. imagine saying that with a straight face before wemby ever came into the league.
Like 10 years ago, something like that would seem so absurd it wouldn’t even be considered as a real possibility.
Haven’t seen this guy smile since Jokic charged at him from across the court.
This guy is a hooper fr, only thing that makes him smile is some good fucking basketball
He’d fit in well on the Spurs lol. Respect.
McDaniels knows they all good defenders.
This dude was looking like a sith lord vs the Nuggets, but now he’s cheesing it when he has lil JMac in his lap lol
Dude is an absolute dog, thank fuck his outside shot was a lil off. Would love to have him on our team
This is the greed they talk about in bible
Like they already have the xmen what more do u want
Can you really claim to have the XMen without Wolverine?
You leave pookie alone
😂 As if Adam Silver hasn’t gifted them enough
Your first son and Jaden McDaniels (Naz Reid as well if you don’t want plague)
Lmaooooo
I heard the Wolves need a PG. Would they be interested in a slightly used PG who dropped 21 on 8⁄10 efficiency
Potentially. Would you be interested in a weathered former all NBA power forward?
Seals it. 3 team trade Pelicans get Randle back, Wolves get Fox, Spurs get McDaniels.
I’m out, *leaves the podium*
I don’t want him off our team
McDaniels is a fuckin dawg. Saying what a lot of people already think but clearly means more coming from someone of his caliber.
Big praise from a excellent defender himself. Night in and out thru the season Jaden guarded the very best each team had to offer. That’s why we love Jaden. 💙💙💚💚
Add it to the pile of coaches and players this year who’ve essentially said Wembys presence changes the way teams play basketball.
Before this series there were a lot of fans from different fanbases talking about how Gobert is like right there neck and neck with Wemby defensively.
Then you sit down and watch the games and it’s clear as day Wemby is on a different planet. And that sounds like disrespect to someone who’s won multiple DPOYs! But it’s really just a compliment to Wembys insanity.
Rudy isn’t currently at that level. But he definitely WAS. He also has tons more strength than Wemby. It’s fair to compare them that way when looking at earlier Gobert seasons.
I’ve never seen Gobert at the level Wemby is at now.
Nope, Gobert never warped the court like Wemby
Huh? He absolutely had the same ‘warp’ on defense that Wemby has now. Kinda weird to suggest otherwise.
I disagree, there is a reason Wemby is the only unanimous DPOY.
Definitely not
I think people are mixing wembys offensive capabilities in when comparing him and gobert. Gobert was definitely wemby level defensively, it’s just wembys offensive capabilities are on a whole nother planet compared to gobert
No.
Wishing longevity for Wemby, truly fun to watch.
I’ve started watching full nba games again because of him, he’s such an anomaly out there it’s crazy to watch. I hope he’s got kareem’s longevity.
No that’s Jayson Tatum
Nah Tatum is JayPhilly
“They’re all good defenders. We can’t go at Wemby, can’t go at Castle, all the good defenders. Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, Carter Bryant, their whole team”
The yin and yang of Jaden McDaniels
Where do you rank the nuggets, Jaden?
There’s 29 teams, and then there’s fifty feet of crap, and then there’s the Nuggets
Not great. I’d assume. Has he said anything publicly about them?
Not that I’m aware of, but I have a feeling he really respects their defense.
Well that’s really nice of him!
I love him lol
I’m ngl I think Wemby is the best player in the NBA right now. What an absolute ascent he’s had and it’s just getting started
I think WCF decides who will be the popular pick for best player in the league next season
Shai has to win and outplay Wemby, to have a shot at the title as best player, that’s how favored Wemby is for it I think
His impact on defense is so large that he will be in the GOAT discussion if he’s consistently just a very good offensive player imo. The notion that offense is more valuable than defense is true but Wemby’s defense is so much better than everyone else’s he’s an exception to the rule.
It’s like Dwight Howard’s defensive impact on the Magic while being able to shoot from 30 feet so you’re not playing 5 on 4.
Wemby’s offense has generally been good so far in the playoffs he’s not averaging the same points as the regular season I don’t think but his TS is relatively the same. I think his offense is borderline elite due to how high is floor is rolling to the basket as a lob/finishing threat and his versatility.
the gravity he has is even bigger in the playoffs, it’s crazy that his mates benefit so much from him not even touching the ball, his offensive impact is crazy outside of the boxscore already
Joker: “🤬”
the % chance that Jokic is aware of this comment from Jaden?
its 0%.
the % chance of a jokic stan coming to defend him in any thread related to playing defense?
its 100
Cool where is he? Im not even a Jokic FAN, let alone a stan, I just know he doesnt give a fuck. I think everyone knows that tbh
Mfers deadass fantasizing about a scenario where Jokic is somehow watching this and getting upset.
Literally rent free
This is the moodiest POS I’ve ever seen - Reddit
People who don’t know the wolves think he’s moody because he literally never smiles or shows emotion. I can understand why someone would think that.
The funniest was after the nuggets post-game Adelman said some dumb shit like “it’ll be good for his podcast and clicks”.
About one of the most private, quiet starters in the league.
Apparently having rbf is moody?? He seems like a very even keeled guy lol I don’t think the moody rumors are about anyone but ant
Nah it’s Randle Naz is also pretty moody. Jaden is too when he does his frustration fouls. But Randle is the moodiest
Hes well on his way to Goat defender
Jaden would do really well on the Spurs.
Don’t even think about it.
It’s always so adorable when players have their kids with them for interviews
only now can I crown Wemby as one of the greatest defenders.
Jaden, Ant and Naz have zero problems giving it up when we get BTA. It’s just how we are as a team. Play really hard defensively, sure, but largely there’s a lot of respect given. I think the real beef is with Devin Booker with Jaden. He don’t fuck with him at all.
Only 15 more years of this fuckery
Been calling McDaniels “Pocket Wemby”
Hahaha I love it.
If Wemby can get his ppg to 28-30 and keep his defense, he’ll be the mvp for years to come.
He’s only at 25 ppg due to minutes restriction. Per 100 possessions, 41.2 pts
His per 36 was at 31 points I think
If Wemby gets pass OKC, its going to be the era of Wemby for the next 5 years or so
playing a full season is exhausting and then going into battle in the post season oof you can tell he’s relieved and gave it 110%. nothing left in the tank but to enjoy his time off until training camp.
Losing Donte and having a hobbled Ant meant he was basically the only good back court/wing defenders and also had to switch onto Wemby. Dude was in hell.
Shouts TJ Shannon for busting his fucking ass on both sides of the ball, otherwise it truly would’ve been Jaden all by himself.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been eliminated from title contention.
Jaden McDaniels: Smile - Unlocked
Lotta non flaired dudes getting upvotes. It’s the playoffs innit
It’s happening. Jaden is going to train with monks this summer to be more like Wemby.
This is a superstar in the making.
Much love and respect to McDaniels 🥰✌️
reminds me of Bird speaking on young Mike. called him “God in basketball shoes.” playoffs bring legendary quotes
Dude became a Minnesota legend last series. He can do no wrong, everything he says is gospel.
Jaden to Spurs would be the dream if he ever gets traded. 🙏
Wemby is just a cheat code come to life.
That dude barely cracks a smile, even when they’re winning. Wemby’s defensive charm is on a different level.
That’s gotta be some severe whiplash, going from driving at Joker to driving at Wemby.
Nuggets need some better perimeter defenders. Losing KCP was very painful.
We’d have the perfect team if we could just clone AG. He does so many things that the Nuggets need.
that’s not even his, that kid just wins the MVP award in 25 years and he’s already locking him up
And that’s saying a lot. Seeing as how he’s played against Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Dikembe Mutumbo, David Robinson, etc.
Come to the Spurs jaden….
What is with all these players bringing their kids to the podium after losing, I didn’t see this kid after games 1-5…
What’s up with the bandaid on his arm? Do they get IV after games?
The lakers traded this man
(I know I know no one knew he’d turn out like this but still man fuck)
This is a body double. I don’t recognize this Jaden McDaniels.
He must’ve forgotten about the goat Christian Braun
“Props to Wemby for being being tall and long”
W/his height and coordination combo, he fucking well better be pretty high up there
I mean he’s not wrong.
same, and I haven’t even played him
Rudy watched this pouted and then got moody
Watching your team play against Wemby is demoralizing. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to have him always there. Lurking
Jaden found cheesing talking about wemby and a a fork was found in the kitchen