Following a Game 2 victory on the road in Denver, Colorado, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels went viral for being straightforward.
The defensive standout dropped a critical statement regarding his thoughts on the Nuggets’ defense. In McDaniels’ eyes, everybody in Denver is bad on defense.
“Go at Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, their whole team,” McDaniels stated bluntly. “They’re all bad defenders.”
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 08: Anthony Edwards #5, Jaden McDaniels #3 and Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves react during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Target Center on January 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Following the Game 3 battle on Thursday night, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch admitted that he didn’t need to have a conversation with McDaniels to stress backing up what he said. However, the head coach did note that his player’s performance was inspirational for the team.
“Jaden is one of our intense and most ornery competitors,” Finch told reporters.
“I didn’t have any worry that he wasn’t gonna come out and try his darnedest to back up whatever was said. Ultimately, saying things is neither here nor there. Got to go out and play the game. Again, he was special tonight.”
The Nuggets Responded Before Game 3
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 18: Head coach David Adelman of the Denver Nuggets directs his team against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
When the Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon was asked about it, he straight-up said he doesn’t care and left it at that.
The head coach, David Adelman, was asked about it after practice on Wednesday, and he reacted in a more comedic tone.
“I can’t wait for his podcast,” Adelman told a scrum of reporters. “He’s a really good player. Everyone has a sounding board these days. It’ll help his social media.”
Jaden McDaniels Responded To Adelman’s Clap Back
GettyJaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu held Jamal Murray to a quiet night at Target Center
Following a Thursday morning shootaround session in Minnesota, McDaniels was asked about the response from the Nuggets’ side.
The veteran forward admitted that he unintentionally saw Adelman’s reaction.
“You know, you go on your phone, it’s hard not to see it, but it’s whatever. I said what I said.”
McDaniels made it clear that talking on a podcast isn’t for him. He prefers to back his game up on the court. Hours later, McDaniels put together another strong performance, which led to the Timberwolves issuing the Nuggets another loss.
Denver has gone down 2-1 in the first-round series against the Timberwolves. McDaniels checked in for 41 minutes. He shot 9-13 from the field to score 20 points on the offensive end of the floor.
McDaniels contributed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Defensively, he came up with one steal and one block.
The Timberwolves still need at least two more wins to close out the series on top, making the trash talk worth it. They are on the right path.