T-Wolves PG Jordan McLaughlin masters more than the basketball court

Mastering the basketball court is the goal of every player on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster. Mastering academic subject matter while doing so is twice as nice.

One of the challenges of college basketball players entering the NBA via the draft is the unfinished business of that college degree. At some point in time, a diploma from a college or university will come in handy in a young man’s life. So while it may not be big basketball news, it’s been my practice to celebrate academic achievements whenever possible.

And for Minnesota Timberwolves PG Jordan McLaughlin, it’s time for him to be recognized for his academic achievement, and perhaps a little bit more:

McLaughlin is the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ backup point guard. As such, he does not get the lion’s share of playing time. But when he does make his way onto the basketball court, he makes things happen.

McLaughlin masters Memphis

That was never more obvious than when the Timberwolves faced the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Playoffs. During that series, McLaughlin shot better than 70 percent from the floor and better than 57 percent from the three-point range. He even added 2.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG, and even managed to average 1.0 blocks per game.

That’s quite a load for a young man only in his third NBA season, and his first and only NBA Playoffs appearance. Is it something that could lead to a huge spike in Year 4? It wouldn’t be the first time that an NBA player found firmer footing on the basketball court after performing better than expected.

McLaughlin has upside, and perhaps this is the year that starts to show up consistently on the court. Of course, he needs to earn more minutes, and that becomes a bit of a catch-22. Still, the young man has just earned his master’s degree. So you can expect him to figure out a solution.