One of the best parts of watching this Minnesota Timberwolves team mesh and discover how best to maximize their individual talents on both offense and defense has been watching guys who have previously gotten less playing time get their chance to shine. Since the injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle, we have seen several more players typically buried in the rotation have a shot at contributing, and getting to make a real impact in NBA games.
We saw it with Terrence Shannon Jr. in the Wolves' win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Using his physical style of play and unparalleled strength for a rookie, he was a real needle-mover against the best team in the association. Another guy who contributed to that win and who has provided an underrated impact as of late is Jaylen Clark. Playing in his second professional season, Clark has been bringing his phenomenal defensive talents to the floor for Minnesota.
On Tuesday, the Timberwolves arrived in Los Angeles for their contest with the Lakers later this week. With ESPN and several media organizations headquartered in the area, Nickeil Alexander-Walker decided to hop in the studio to talk about his team's big win on Monday. While speaking with Malika Andrews at ESPN, NAW gave praise to Jaylen Clark for his impact and spoke specifically about how he saw the mind of the young gun working on Monday in Oklahoma City.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker said on .@espn that Jaylen Clark told him at some point in the fourth quarter that if the Wolves got two stops, they could "crack this under ten, and we can win this game."
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) February 25, 2025
Not surprising, but it's cool that Clark was thinking like that in the moment. pic.twitter.com/kW7jCbVIIz
Alexander-Walker spoke to Clark's mind for defense
When asked when he began to figure out that the Wolves could truly win that game, Nickeil had this to say. "There was a timeout, and I looked at the score and I was trying to figure out if it was updated or not," Alexander-Walker said. "And Jaylen Clark had made a comment saying, 'if we get two stops, we can crack this under 10 and we can win this game, and we can make it a game.' And I said, 'oh shoot, you're right.' "
Now bear in mind, this was a second-year guy talking to a sixth-year guy who has built a reputation as a fantastic defender and playoff performer in this league. Even Nickeil was taken aback for just a moment at the awareness of Clark in that crucial part of the game. "After that, that's when I went into hyperdrive again, just trying to be vocal," Alexander-Walker said.
If this isn't the biggest reassurance that the Timberwolves have a defensive stalwart on their hands, I don't know what is. Clark already has phenomenal skill on that side of the ball, but it is his mind that gives him the potential to truly be an All-Defense level defender for years to come.