3 reasons why Timberwolves rookie Jaylen Clark is worth the wait
By Bret Stuter
Reason II: Defense is his ‘thing’
It’s pretty easy to find a young basketball player who can score. It’s far less common to find a young basketball player who can play shutdown defense. And yet, that is the quality that jumps out at you when you look at games played by Jalen Clark.
Some young basketball players learn how to score, put points on the scoreboard, and use that as their ticket to be signed into the exclusive world of the NBA. But in the process of doing so, they often fail to develop the basic fundamental skills needed to play defense in the NBA. If not corrected, quickly, that player is limited in playing time and game scenarios.
Defense is classic NBA play
But defense never goes out of style. It’s the universal glue that keeps basketball players on the court, not off the court. That’s the reason why young defensive rookies are so valuable. They are in high demand, and in short supply. So a delay of several months is not going to derail this Timberwolves team from adding a pesky defender to the roster.
Wolves 2nd round pick Jaylen Clark on his defensive mentality:
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) June 26, 2023
"I feel like defensive basketball is just if you want to or not... I just have that constant will. I take it personal. Like, I didn't get scored on very much in college. I never got my ass busted. I wasn't that guy." pic.twitter.com/fuMrGeaAGE
Still, Jaylen Clark is more than a nuisance, he stymies his opponent and loves doing so. That’s because he is not doing his coach’s bidding. He embraces the role and understands just how important a strong defender can be for the overall success of the basketball team.