When it comes to this Minnesota Timberwolves team, fans are more than aware of how Chris Finch likes to run things. He is not typically the kind of coach that is going to go deep down his bench on a nightly basis, playing all of his young guys and trying out different lineup combinations regularly.
And this is honestly a smart tactic when you talk about coaching a team that is clearly contending for the playoffs. Giving new guys opportunities should never be off-limits, but you also have to roll with your top contributors on a fairly consistent basis if you want to win basketball games in this league.
That is why the recent play of Jaylen Clark has been so notable. Currently playing on a two-way contract for the Timberwolves, Clark had only appeared in four games this season with the NBA club leading up to Wednesday night's game in Phoenix against the Suns.
Since then, he has gotten on the floor for a combined 27 minutes against the Suns on Wednesday and Utah Jazz on Friday. In the time that he got, Clark managed to make a phenomenal impact on winning for Minnesota.
I mean look at this dude pic.twitter.com/qWPMv8ywqX https://t.co/6Zh7ECTUGv
— Jack Borman (@jrborman13) January 30, 2025
Jaylen Clark has made a big impact the last two games
Locked On Minnesota host Jack Borman pointed out how Clark's defensive impact is unique - he simply moves differently at that end of the floor. He has an "it" factor when it comes to knowing how to move his body effectively on defense, and it has showed up in a big way these last two games.
Against the Suns, he had a masterful defensive possession while guarding Bradley Beal in the third quarter. Matched up with a veteran scorer, Clark locked down and kept his feet moving, forcing the pass and immediately jumping over to contest the shot from Ryan Dunn as well, forcing a miss.
In Utah, Clark showed off his defensive impact in transition, poking the ball away from Collin Sexton and setting up Anthony Edwards for an easy dunk in the second quarter. Offensively, he did his job, taking good shots and using that strong footwork to get himself in the right places to be effective.
We are seeing the rapid progression of Clark right in front of our eyes. His play is really no surprise given the kind of player he was at UCLA, winning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, which is awarded to the top defensive player in college basketball. The more comfortable he becomes at the NBA level, the more his talent will become a game-changer for the Timberwolves.