Jaylen Clark has been by far the most effective of the Minnesota Timberwolves' young players. Don't let his 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game fool you; Clark is a high-impact player. In fact, the Wolves are 14-0 when Clark plays 14 or more minutes per game. Conversely, they are just 3-8 when he plays fewer than 14 minutes.
However, he still doesn't have a consistent role. Clark has more games where he has played fewer than 10 minutes than he has games played of 20 or more minutes. Frankly, I understand why Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. have inconsistent roles; they haven't been great in their limited minutes, but with Clark, I can't think of a real explanation for his fluctuating role.
During Wednesday's 116-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Clark played just 8:58 minutes. Sure, offense was more of a problem for the Wolves, but Clark's energy is contagious, and his defense leads to offense. Here's an example of him doing just that.
Jaylen Clark sneaky steal + layup pic.twitter.com/b3PEUBzrkv
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) December 18, 2025
For the Wolves to reach their ceiling, Clark needs to be a linchpin of the team's rotation.
Jaylen Clark is a key part of the Wolves' success
Clark's value is largely on the defensive end of the floor. He is a swarming on-ball defender. The UCLA product shadows opposing players' movements at an elite level, and he can contain opponents with his imposing strength. Opponents are shooting just 40.5 percent when guarded by Clark or, more accurately, when they're in Clark County Jail.
In addition to his on-ball defense, Clark is also an impressive defensive playmaker. Clark ranks in the 87th percentile of both steals and deflections per 100 possessions. This often leads to big plays on the other end of the court. Clark can shift the team's energy with his relentless motor, and that's clear, given how, when he plays big minutes, the Wolves win.
The non-Rudy Gobert minutes have been a massive problem for the Wolves this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, with Gobert off the court, the Wolves have a 123.3 defensive rating, which translates to the second-worst defense in the league — their 108.8 DRTG translates to the best defense in the league. To me, simply playing Clark more (ideally alongside Jaden McDaniels is an obvious solution to the non-Rudy minutes.
With Clark but without Gobert, the Wolves' DRTG slightly improves to 119.9. Likewise with McDaniels but without Gobert, the Wolves have a 119.7 DRTG. However, with Clark and McDaniels in the non-Rudy minutes, Minnesota has an impressive 111 DRTG, which translates to third in the league. To maintain a quality defense with Gobert off the court, playing Clark more is simply necessary.
Offensively, Clark is more up-and-down. Most of his role is as a spot-up shooter, but he only nets 31.9 percent of his 3-pointers. Still, Clark has had 13 or more games when he's shot 50 percent or more from 3-point range. Clark is also a high-level connective playmaker, cutter, and he crashes the glass at a high rate.
Ultimately, for the Wolves to maximize their upside, playing Clark more is an essential move. Make it happen, Chris Finch.