When the crowd roars, even the stars listen. Find out how Luka Doncic turned a wave of fan outrage into a moment of humble acknowledgment before the big game. The revelation came just as the Dallas Mavericks prepare to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, Luka Doncic has taken a moment to appreciate the defensive skills of one of his upcoming opponents, Jaden McDaniels. According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Doncic took a moment to highlight the McDaniels’ skills and ranked him as one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.

Doncic revised his older list of top perimeters, to include Jaden amongst Oklahoma City Thunder’s Luguentz Dort, Boston Celtics’ Jrue Holiday and his teammate Derrick Jones Jr. Here’s why the Mavs star changed his list.

Luka Doncic says Jaden McDaniels is among league’s best perimeter defenders

Earlier in May, Luka Doncic had named Lu Dort, Jrue and DJJ as the league’s top three perimeter defenders. He has now come to revise his list. According to a McMahon tweet, he said, “When you asked me about that top three, I forgot about McDaniels. I told you, some people are going to be pissed, but I forgot about him. But he’s definitely in top three.” Clearly Doncic regretted his first list. He continued, “He’s been doing incredible defensively. He has long [arms], he can jump. So he’s locked in, and it’s going to be tough to go against him.”

Doncic’s comments are especially significant in light of the Mavericks and Timberwolves getting ready for their crucial matchup. In Minnesota’s plan to contain Doncic, who is renowned for his offensive variety and capacity to dominate games, McDaniels is anticipated to be a key component. Doncic’s recognition of McDaniels’ defensive prowess indicates an appreciation as well as an understanding of the difficulties that lay ahead. Take a look at McDaniels’ performance this season.

Jaden McDaniels’ stats

In his fourth year with Minnesota, this has been McDaniels’s performance.

Minnesota has had the highest defense rating for the season with 108.4 and a defensive rebound percentage of 76.9. Their Power Forward McDaniels made it to the second team of NBA All-Defensive Team for the 2023-24 season. The All-Defensive Team is an honor that is given to the best defensive players of the regular season each year. The results are based on the votes of a panel of 123 people and the players each receive two points for each first-team vote and one point for each second-team vote. Jaden scored a total of 66 points and ranked fourth on the second team.

His teammate, Rudy Gobert also appeared on the list. Gobert won Best Defensive Player of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year in a row this season. There is a reason why Minnesota’s defense has been top-notch this season.

Naturally, one can see why Luka Doncic felt the need to revise his list to include Jaden McDaniels’s name. Jaden’s contributions to his team are undeniable. As the two teams face off in the Western Conference Finals, it is hard to say who will emerge victorious.