There was a lot that stood out to me during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Christmas Eve 142-138 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Objectively, a 44-point performance with an insane 3-pointer to force OT from Anthony Edwards and a 56-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic make this game quite unforgettable. One thing that can and should not be lost, however, is the Timberwolves’ shaky rotations.
Most notably, Terrence Shannon Jr. Played 10 minutes, while Jaylen Clark played five minutes. Okay, I understand this may not seem important, but it absolutely was, and Chris Finch’s continued trust in Shannon, but the unwillingness to completely let go of Clark all season was puzzling. This was a season-low 5:21 minutes for Clark, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Yes, Clark gets 1.3 more minutes per game than Shannon. Nevertheless, the difference should be bigger considering the way they both play. In the context of the Nuggets game, Finch’s decision to turn to Shannon instead of Clark was illogical.
Clark must take over Shannon’s role
Listen, I get it, I don’t want to rubbish last year’s first round (although it looks like Finch has already done that with Rob Dillingham), but there is a time and a place. I’m okay with Shannon playing against the Nuggets, and I won’t give up on him becoming a productive player.
However, Finch should not have used him for a second team after struggling in his first, especially as Wolves needed defense, not attack, in an important game.
The Wolves had an abysmal defensive rating of 157.4 on Thursday without Gobert. So why on earth would you put your team’s worst statistical defenseman above defensive specialist Clark if Gobert was sitting? The Timberwolves’ defense is 17.5 points per possession worse with Shannon on the court, which is the worst mark in the NBA. But with Clark they are 2.8 points better.
Clark is a suffocating defender on the ball with great defensive playmaking instincts. While Shannon is often caught off guard and struggles with positioning off the ball.
Despite Shannon’s offensive reputation, he averages just 0.3 points more than Clark on a worse effective field goal percentage. Shannon’s 40.5 percent three-point shooting percentage has been his saving grace this season and gives him one advantage over Clark. Anyway, my point is that you don’t give Clark much offense on the field.
Shannon left Thursday’s game with a foot injury that has bothered him all season. Perhaps this explains some of his season-long struggles. Maybe he aggravated it again during the game, but if Finch knew about it beforehand, that’s all the more reason to play Clark. Hopefully this isn’t a long term injury for Shannon.
While this game is a great example of Finch’s unwavering belief in Shannon and lack of belief in Clark, it has been a season-long problem. If Shannon is struggling offensively, Finch will often continue to ride him despite the defensive issues, but he typically won’t do the same with Clark despite his elite defense.
The Timberwolves are 14-0 when Clark plays 14 minutes or more and just 5-9 when he plays less than 14 minutes. I will continue to write this in every article related to Clark because it is clear that his defense has a major impact on winning. Yet Clark doesn’t often reach this threshold in favor of more minutes, Shannon, who has been worse than Clark in almost every way.
At 20-11, the Wolves are in a good spot overall. However, to reach their ceiling, they need more Clark and less Shannon on nights when his offense isn’t there.
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