"Forgot about him": Luka Doncic backtracks on his top-three defender picks from weeks ago ahead of Mavs-Wolves WCF showdown

Earlier this postseason, Luka Doncic listed his top three perimeter defenders in the league. Ahead of the Western Conference finals, he gave one member of the Minnesota Timberwolves their flowers.

When asked the question the first time around, Doncic named Lu Dort, Jrue Holiday and Derrick Jones Jr. as the top defenders. Leading up to Game 1 against the Wolves on Wednesday, he admitted he forgot about Jaden McDaniels.

"When you asked me about that top three, I forgot about McDaniels," Doncic said. "I told you, some people are going to be pissed, but I forgot about him. But he's definitely in top three.

"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.”

Since being picked by the Wolves, McDaniels has shown the ability to be a high-level NBA defensive stopper. His efforts helped Minnesota reach the conference finals. The youthful forward recently received fair credit as he was chosen for the All-Defense Second Team this year.

After taking on defensive assignments like Kevin Durant and Jamal Murray in earlier rounds, McDaniels will likely be one of the main defenders on Luka Doncic.

---

How has Luka Doncic fared against Jaden McDaniels this season?

During the regular season, Luka Doncic missed two of the Dallas Mavericks' four matchups with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the two games he played, his performances against Jaden McDaniels were complete opposites.

The first time around, Doncic got the upper hand on the Timberwolves forward. He notched 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting to go along with six assists. Though it is worth noting, McDaniels got Doncic to commit four turnovers.

In the second meeting, McDaniels would fare much better in this matchup against the All-Star guard. He managed to hold Luka Doncic to just nine points on 4-for-11 shooting, including going 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Due to his size and length, McDaniels is the Timberwolves' best option when it comes to slowing down Doncic. If they want any chance at reaching the NBA Finals, containing the Mavs star is a top priority.

McDaniels is going to have his hands full, as Doncic has been nothing short of dominant in the playoffs. Through the first two rounds, he is averaging 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.1 assists.

Seeing that they each had success against the other during the regular season, there is no telling how this matchup will play out in the conference finals.