Jaylen Clark has had an unorthodox route to NBA playing time.
If it were not for an end-of-season Achilles tear at UCLA in his junior season, Clark likely would have been a late first-round prospect in the 2023 draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves took a chance on him with the 53rd pick, and it has paid off.
Clark’s injury delayed his breakthrough, but he bounced back quickly. He developed with the Iowa Wolves before making an impact in Minnesota’s regular-season games during the final stretch of the season.
Clark found a rhythm after the injury, but he has not been fully healthy going into an off-season in two years. Therefore, this upcoming season for Clark will be crucial for his growth, and it begins at Summer League.
Last season, Clark said that he did not get cleared until May 2024. Therefore, when he played in Summer League last year, he was hardly in comfortable playing shape. It was evident that Clark was trying to regain form in Summer League. He averaged just 3.8 points per game in 18.1 minutes per game.
It wasn’t a surprise that Clark struggled offensively in Summer League last season because he is more known for his defense. Given the low stakes of Summer League and the increased usage and role, there is still a lot left for Clark to show in this context.
Clark’s offense still needs development and refining.
Clark has a fairly simple offensive role in the NBA. Still, there’s more he needs to showcase to be a stable part of Minnesota’s rotation moving forward.
He shot 43.1% from three last season, but he only had 51 attempts. A larger sample size will better gauge how good Clark can be as a three-point shooter. He’ll have more freedom within the offense, allowing for a more thorough evaluation of him as a shooting threat.
Clark is a standstill catch-and-shoot player, but it would be important to see if he can add a little more versatility to his 3P attempts.
Clark can also showcase his off-the-dribble game in Summer League.
He’s not the type of player to break down defenders off the dribble. Still, if opponents respect Clark’s 3P shooting, he needs a counter off the dribble when attacking closeouts.
Clark showcased the ability to draw fouls with low gathers throughout his limited minutes, and his stocky frame allows him to take on contact downhill. However, more high-usage reps off the dribble in a realistic play context will be telling for Clark’s development.
Part of it comes down to Clark’s comfort with his handle. He played some lead guard at UCLA, but he lacks the nuance off the dribble to effectively deal with NBA ball pressure as a secondary initiator. Still, Clark can find rhythm off the dribble by making quick reads off the catch.
Ultimately, Jaylen Clark is a high-floor, low-ceiling player. Clark’s game and play style are simple, but he still has a lot of room for offensive growth this season.