Jaden McDaniels' absence in the All-Defensive Teams for the 2022-23 season came as an absolute shock not only to the Minnesota Timberwolves faithful but also to NBA fans in general.
There is no doubt that McDaniels has proven himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA in the past campaign. He was vital in Minnesota's playoff qualification, and he has the numbers to back up his All-Defensive team claim. He's the only player in the entire league to record at least 75 blocks and 70 steals, finishing with 76 blocks and 74 steals.
Several NBA fans couldn't believe that McDaniels didn't even make it to the All-Defensive Second Team considering his production on that end of the floor. While the other selections definitely made their own strong cases, there is no denying that McDaniels should have been part of it.
“OG Anunoby receiving 19 more 2nd team votes, 11 more 1st team votes than Jaden McDaniels would not have been something I would've wagered on. And Anunoby is a rock-solid defender,” Darren Wolfson of SKOR North said.
“That Jaden McDaniels did not make 1st or 2nd team All-Defense is absolutely mind blowing. Wow,” Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic added.
Online media personality Rob Perez added, “I'm having a hard time formulating any reasonable hypothesis why Jaden McDaniels was left off All-Defense. This is not a “someone didn't vote Jokic Top 5 MVP” outlier, as more than half the voters didn't ballot 1st or 2nd team. I'm clearly out of the loop, what am I missing?”
Meanwhile, a fan blamed the media for the voting, highlighting that the voters were probably just watching the big market teams. “Feel for Jaden McDaniels, who had a legitimate case as the league’s best defender this season and was absolutely the most versatile on a night to night basis. They need to take voting away from media members who only watch big market teams or follow waves,” the fan shared.
Here are more reactions to the huge McDaniels snub:
Jaden McDaniels if he was on the Lakers https://t.co/q4WwRw5D8q pic.twitter.com/DsVoQn5OXh
— 9s (@CashCartiSports) May 9, 2023
Jaden McDaniels was not selected for EITHER all defensive team
Dillon Brooks and Draymond Green were pic.twitter.com/jAulYAEFa3
— Timberwolves Muse (@Wolvesmuse) May 9, 2023
JADEN MCDANIELS WAS SNUBBED FROM AN NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM pic.twitter.com/6RT1BkZy9a
— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) May 9, 2023
Jaden McDaniels has yet to speak out to his failure to make it to the All-Defensive teams. But after expressing his belief that he's one of the best, if not the best defender in the NBA today, he's probably disappointed with the snub.
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