I think most Minnesota Timberwolves fans have grown to love Jaylen Clark this year. It’s hard not to respect his defensive intensity and motor skills. For much of the season, it looked like Clark would be a clear mainstay of the Wolves rotation because of his defense.
However, after trading for Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, Clark’s role with the Wolves looked limited going forward. Through two games with Dosunmu’s Wolves stint, Clark has barely remained in the rotation, playing just under nine minutes total, a notable drop from his 13.1 MPG on the season.
Unfortunately, it appears to be only a matter of time before Clark is removed from the Wolves rotation completely. This may not be the most exciting story about the Wolves as we approach the All-Star break, but it’s certainly worth discussing.
Finding minutes for Clark is difficult
Dosunmu offers similar value to Clark on defense as an energetic offensive stopper. Yet he is much more advanced on offense, as a shot maker, ball handler and 3-point shooter. As such, minutes for Clark are difficult to find.
In addition to Dosunmu’s emergence, second-year wing Terrence Shannon Jr. seems ready to return after the All-Star break. Although Shannon has been unproductive, he has been in the rotation when healthy. So it’s reasonable to expect Chris Finch to give Shannon another chance, which will come at the expense of Clark.
Mike Conley is ready to officially return to the Wolves soon and add another player who can compete with Clark for minutes.
The thing is, it doesn’t appear that Clark will play a major role for the Wolves for the rest of the season.
There’s no denying that Clark’s defense has been a huge positive for the Wolves all year long. He is a fantastic on-ball defender who mirrors top-level perimeter players on the ball. Notably, he is holding opposing players back who are shooting just 41.8 percent from the field. Throughout the year, this has helped take the pressure off Jaden McDaniels and has given the Wolves bench some much-needed energy.
Still, it’s hard to deny that Clark is limited offensively. He’s averaging just 3.8 points and 0.6 assists on 42.5/28.6/62.7 shooting splits. Clark’s mix of poor shooting, limited creation and playmaking makes it difficult for him to earn consistent minutes.
On the other hand, Clark is still young, the 24-year-old is in his second season of playing (missing his freshman year with an Achilles injury). I won’t give up on Clark developing into a quality rotation player. His defense is already there, and if his offense ever catches up, we could be looking at a fantastic role player.
Still, for now, it looks like Clark will have to wait before he can establish himself as a true contributor.
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