TIMBERWOLVES ‘NAW & ORDER,’ EXPLAINED: HOW JADEN MCDANIELS, NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER EARNED NICKNAME FROM STELLAR DEFENSE
A championship team rarely just relies on one or two players. The Nuggets had an elite player in Nikola Jokic when they won a title a year ago, but would they have climbed the mountaintop without Aaron Gordon or Bruce Brown playing their roles to perfection?
The Timberwolves firmly believe they can win a championship this season, and Anthony Edwards is far from the only reason why. Minnesota has unlocked two legitimate defensive anchors in Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a duo earning its own nickname next to four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
McDaniels and Alexander-Walker went viral for frustrating Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the Timberwolves' Game 2 win, causing the nickname to spark in popularity as Minnesota moved a step closer to eliminating the defending champions.
Here's what you need to know about the "NAW & Order" nickname for McDaniels and Alexander-Walker.
MORE: Revisiting Anthony Edwards' college career
Timberwolves 'NAW & Order' nickname, explained
"NAW & Order" is a nickname for McDaniels and Alexander-Walker intended to be a play on longtime hit show "Law & Order." "Law & Order" typically ends in a suspect or suspects heading to jail, or locked up -- just like opposing players get locked up by the defense of McDaniels and Alexander-Walker.
NAW is a nickname for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. His name is a bit of a mouthful, so fans have found it easier to just use the NAW acronym to refer to him. In this case, "Order" would be McDaniels.
Just about every NBA fan knows Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns are offensive weapons, but Minnesota's energy on the defensive end has consistently impressed in these playoffs. McDaniels finished +26 in the Timberwolves' Game 2 win over the Nuggets despite scoring just five points, while Alexander-Walker had three blocks in the victory. Alexander-Walker was the subject of some viral clips that showed him frustrating Murray, and the "NAW & Order" duo at one point completely locked down Murray by surrounding him on the defensive end.
How good is the Timberwolves defense?
The Timberwolves had the best defensive rating (108.4) in the NBA this season, finishing well ahead of the Celtics, Magic and Thunder.
Despite the attention surrounding Minnesota's defense, the Timberwolves are actually fourth in defensive rating in the playoffs behind those three teams. Minnesota entered Friday tied for the best offensive rating, however, the offensive improvement has been critical in turning Chris Finch's team into such a machine with six consecutive wins.
McDaniels and Alexander-Walker are a pivotal part of the Timberwolves' defensive success. They combined for 1.8 offensive win shares and 5.9 defensive win shares, playing regular minutes despite some inconsistency on the offensive end.
Of course, it helps that Gobert is patrolling the paint so well. The Timberwolves allowed the second-fewest points in the paint per game this season, behind only the Bulls. Minnesota also ranked top-six in both steals and blocks per game.
MORE: How Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns are solving Nikola Jokic
Overall, the Timberwolves allowed only 106.5 points per game. That was the best mark in the league by a margin of 1.7 points, and the Nuggets saw every bit of Minnesota's defensive prowess when they were held to 80 points at home in Game 2.
Jaden McDaniels stats
| Season | Games | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
| 2020-21 | 63 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| 2021-22 | 70 | 9.2 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| 2022-23 | 79 | 12.1 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| 2023-24 | 72 | 10.5 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Career | 284 | 9.8 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
McDaniels signed a five-year, $136 million contract extension with the Timberwolves ahead of the 2023-24 season. He was the 28th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft out of Washington.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker stats
| Season | Team(s) | Games | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
| 2019-20 | Pelicans | 47 | 5.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| 2020-21 | Pelicans | 46 | 11.0 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| 2021-22 | Pelicans/Jazz | 65 | 10.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| 2022-23 | Jazz/T-Wolves | 59 | 6.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| 2023-24 | Timberwolves | 82 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Career | 299 | 8.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
Alexander-Walker landed with the Timberwolves as part of a three-team trade that sent D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers in February 2023. Minnesota acquired two key contributors in Alexander-Walker and Mike Conley, also adding three second-round picks.
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