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[Saba Sports News] Jaden McDaniels looked more like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist than a playoff starter during the early moments of Game 5.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward had a nightmare start to Thursday’s must-win matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. In the first quarter at Paycom Center, McDaniels went 0-for-6 from the field, including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc — and most of those looks weren’t even contested.
The Timberwolves ran several clean sets to get McDaniels open shots from the corner, but he couldn’t convert a single one. Social media wasted no time pouncing, unleashing a wave of memes and brutal commentary mocking his cold shooting start.
Coach Chris Finch benched McDaniels at the 5:32 mark of the first quarter, inserting Nickeil Alexander-Walker in his place. But by then, the Thunder had already capitalized, turning McDaniels’ misses into fast-break fuel and building a commanding 26-9 lead by the end of the quarter.
McDaniels, 24, has emerged as a strong perimeter defender and took steps forward offensively this season, averaging a career-best 12.2 points per game. But this series has been rough for him. In addition to his cold shooting, he picked up a flagrant foul in Game 2 after shoving Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.