For the first five seasons of his career, spanning from 2019-20 until 2023-24, Jordan McLaughlin played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Much of that time, he was the main backup point guard for the team behind players such as D’Angelo Russell, Ricky Rubio, and Mike Conley. Even while rarely being in the starting lineup (just seven starts in his Timberwolves tenure), McLaughlin was known for his grittiness and became a fan favorite.
Since leaving Minnesota, the 30-year-old McLaughlin has mostly been out of his team’s rotation for the last two years, first with the Sacramento Kings and now the San Antonio Spurs. With San Antonio’s backcourt depth chart shrinking due to injury in the playoffs, McLaughlin could find himself having a role in the Western Conference finals.
Jordan McLaughlin can see time in Game 3
De’Aaron Fox has missed the first two games of the Western Conference finals with a sprained ankle. Game 2 saw Dylan Harper exit with a right leg injury. With two players sidelined from the Spurs backcourt, inserted into Game 2 was a longtime Wolves player who hadn’t seen a second of postseason action this year other than garbage time.
The seventh-year guard was inserted into Game 2 with 1:34 left in the first quarter. Shortly after, the Oklahoma City Thunder basically dared him to shoot, and McLaughlin knocked down a 3-ball. He ended up playing seven minutes and made another 3-pointer late in the third quarter off a Victor Wembanyama feed.
With Game 3 on Friday night, it is unclear whether Fox or Harper will be available for the Spurs. As San Antonio’s back of the bench features many big men (Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee), being short two backcourt pieces would put McLaughlin as the first guard off the bench.Â
Playing just 6.4 minutes per game over 44 regular season contests this season, McLaughlin averaged 2.0 points and 0.9 assists. In his 242 regular season outings with Minnesota, he averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 assists while playing 15.4 minutes per game. McLaughlin also played in 13 postseason games for the Wolves.
Many Timberwolves fans may be too sick to watch this series after the way that their team was eliminated. That’s understandable after losing their last 2 contests to San Antonio by a combined 59 points.
Those fans that are still paying attention, though, can cheer on their former undrafted player who has carved out a lengthy career if forced into action.
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