How do you grade these 8 Timberwolves players as preseason winds down?

Standout: PG Jordan McLaughlin

The Minnesota Timberwolves will need a successor to veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr., and if PG Jordan McLaughlin can continue to perform at this level, he will certainly be given serious consideration to be Conley’s successor.

While the team made efforts to sign veteran Shake Milton to the Timberwolves roster, there is no firm and final decision made as to who is the heir apparent to veteran PG Mike Conley Jr. For that matter, there is not even a clear need for an immediate successor, and Conley could re-sign with the Timberwolves and remain as the starting point guard.

McLaughlin has a real opportunity to salvage his role on this Timberwolves roster, but he will need to put together more games like the one he had against the New York Knicks. It’s not as though McLaughlin was on fire in any one attribute. Rather, he simply had a solid and well-rounded performance that you expect from a veteran backup point guard.

In just nine minutes of play, he scored eight points, while delivering two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Even as other players on the Timberwolves roster will squeeze minutes from McLaughlin, as long as he optimizes his minutes like this, he will eventually grow his role with the team.

Preseason Game 3 grade: B