Frederick: When Ant Man goes down, Jaden McDaniels becomes Timberwolves’ Superman

Q: What did Jaden McDaniels say about the Nuggets' defense?

Jaden McDaniels claimed that essentially everyone on the Nuggets' roster was a 'bad defender' after a Game 2 victory.

Q: How did McDaniels respond to his controversial comments?

McDaniels stated he wasn't interested in re-hashing his comments and emphasized that he simply said what he thought.

Q: What was the context of McDaniels' comments in the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets series?

His remarks became a focal point of Minnesota's first-round series against Denver, but he insisted they were not meant to provoke or antagonize.

Q: What does McDaniels think about the impact of his words?

He believes that talk is cheap and that off-handed comments do not contribute to lasting legacies in sports.

Jaden McDaniels wasn’t interested in re-hashing the comments that became the focal point of Minnesota’s entire first-round series with Denver.

Yes, he said essentially everyone on the Nuggets’ roster was a “bad defender” after a Game 2 victory. No, it wasn’t an attempt at a mind game, nor fulfilling any role as a villain or antagonist within the story of the series.

McDaniels says what he thinks. In the moment, that’s what he thought.

“I just didn’t care,” McDaniels said. “I said what I said. I’m not going to say it again.”

Because talk is cheap. It does little more than filling a local talk radio station segment or five. But off-handed comments don’t create substance that fulfill lasting legacies.

Performances like the one he delivered Thursday night do.

Forget backing up talk. McDaniels’ dominant, two-way showcase in a series-clinching Game 6 was about nothing more than reminding the Nuggets – and the nation – of the player the 25-year-old wing can be whenever called upon.

“It’s fun to see all the attention that he’s getting, but the way that he was playing, it was even more impressive,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said. “Outside of stuff that the fans were talking about, what he was doing on the court was special.”

With a capital S. McDaniels is a superstar hiding in plain sight.

He scored 32 points to go with 10 rebounds. Defensively, he had two steals and a blocked shot while holding Jamal Murray – a likely All-NBA selection this season – to 4 for 17 shooting. All series, the Wolves’ wing stopper sucked the life out of Murray with his relentless full-court pressure. For 45 minutes on Thursday, McDaniels ran from one side of the floor to the other, dominating each end of play.

In the playoffs. To send home the No. 3 seed in the West.

“You love to play the whole game,” McDaniels said. “There’s nothing more I could ask for, almost the whole game, I mean. I’m solid. I’m not tired at all.”

That was evident in his finishing kick. McDaniels tallied 12 points and four boards in the final frame. With Denver desperate for stops, the 6-foot-9 forward dissected the defense with ease, routinely getting to his spots to knock down jumpers.

When the Nuggets finally put two on McDaniels, he comfortably hit Rudy Gobert in the pocket, which led to an open kickout triple for Terrence Shannon Jr. McDaniels frequently insists he’s a point guard. When given the role, he fits the bill. He had zero turnovers in Thursday’s win. It’s top 20 player in the world-type stuff.

That’s the story of the wing’s career to date.

Minnesota is Anthony Edwards’ team. He has the ball. He is the center of the offense. There are many times when McDaniels gets lost amid that ecosystem.

But whenever the Wolves’ superstar is absent, McDaniels emerges at the forefront, and thrives. The defensive stopper has played in 20 games without Edwards dating back to last season, and is averaging 20.8 points in those contests.

The Timberwolves are now 11-5 this season in games in which Edwards sat but McDaniels still played. When Ant Man goes down, Clark Kent puts on the cape.

“I think that’s what made us so comfortable about tonight’s game,” Conley said. “We know what Jaden is capable of. … We have guys that we know sit in the shadow a bit, don’t say anything, wait for their opportunities and when they get them, they can pounce.

“It’s a luxury to have multiple people who can do that, but especially Jaden, who can do multiple things and comes to work every day, and when he gets his opportunity, he makes the most of it.”

McDaniels has the playmaking, ball handling, scoring and decision making to be the sun of his own galaxy, and the stamina to continue to do what separates him from the field on the other end of the floor.

In an era where everyone is searching for two-way talents, the Timberwolves happen to house one of the very best.

McDaniels’ name was thrown around in trade rumors ahead of the February deadline, with the wing linked to a potential blockbuster trade involving Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Should such a deal ever take place, McDaniels looks well equipped to prosper in a lead role.

For now, Minnesota needs him to be that supernova, shining bright enough to provide energy for all as a No. 1 scorer who doesn’t need to dominate the ball to dominate the game.

The Wolves need to win at least one game against the dominant Spurs to put purpose behind even the small hope of an Edwards return. They will not achieve that feat without more heroics from their slender assassin.

And when Edwards does return, McDaniels will very likely lurk back into the darkness – out of the spotlight, though still impacting winning in a big, albeit less notable way.

Until the Wolves will call McDaniels’ number again take on a bigger role — their spare star player they keep on layaway in case of emergency. At which point, he’ll likely deliver, with little to say about it in the aftermath.

Words aren’t necessary when your game does so much talking.