Minnesota in the winter.
It’s not an environment that’s easy to adapt to. Most grew up walking to school or to the bus stop in subzero-degree days, sloshing through feet of freshly fallen snow, wondering why school wasn’t canceled that day. People who aren’t from here think we are crazy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The winters kill off the bugs, and the summers are beautiful.
Visiting NBA teams typically aren’t here during the summer. Usually, they are met with the frigid air as they hop off their plane at MSP, prompting them to think about when they will be back on the plane, flying to a warmer climate. Teams are trying to get out of this place as quickly as possible.
Minnesota in the winter is rarely an enjoyable place for visitors. Jaylen Clark, a California native, is well aware of this. In fact, he wants the Minnesota Timberwolves to embody that uncomfortable climate on the court. He wants visiting teams to hate playing the Wolves in their home gym, not just the cold temperatures and sloppy snow.
Once the opposition is inside Target Center, they are out of the elements. But Minnesota’s defense can keep them uncomfortable. And for that to happen, Clark must be playing.
Minneapolis has always been known for its cold winters, but the Wolves had a reputation for giving opposing teams a warm welcome. When teams played at Target Center, it was a quick-in, quick-out affair that often resulted in an easy win. But now, the winters are still cold — maybe not quite as cold as they were in years past — the Wolves are good. They’ve made it their mission to make things as uncomfortable for their opponent as possible.
“It’s cold as hell here,” Clark said at media day. “Plenty of people would rather be in Miami than be here when they come play. Just embrace the fact that you know people are trying to get out of here as quickly as possible. Make this night as long and hard for them as possible.”
Chris Finch’s primary message to his players so far this training camp has been defense, defense, and defense. The Timberwolves want to return to the team that they were two years ago — a team that led the NBA in defensive rating (108.4). Last season, Minnesota ranked sixth in defensive rating (110.8), which is still respectable. But the Wolves know that defense is what they can always fall back on, even if the offense goes astray, or when Rudy Gobert is on the bench.
Last season, the defense was inconsistent, and the Wolves were far too reliant on Gobert defensively. When he wasn’t on the court, their defensive rating dropped to 115.1, which is the equivalent of the 21st-ranked defense last season.
Inconsistency was a common theme early in the season for Minnesota when Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo struggled to find their roles. The Wolves also wrestled with the pressures that came from being a Western Conference Finals team a year before.
On the other hand, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the same player nearly every night. He played in all 82 games, averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 38.1% from deep. Sometimes, he was an off-ball player. On others, they asked him to be more of a point guard. He was always up for the challenge, especially on the other side of the floor, where he frequently guarded the opposing team’s best player at a near All-Defensive level.
With Alexander-Walker signing in Atlanta this offseason, the Wolves are hoping their young players are ready to fill the 25 minutes per game that NAW gave them last season. It seems almost sure that Terrence Shannon Jr. will be in the rotation for the season opener in Portland. He will join Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo off Minnesota’s bench.
After Shannon, things appear more fluid. The Wolves would benefit from more ball handling this season, so Rob Dillingham could be an every-night player. But he’s had an up-and-down preseason. Perhaps Bones Hyland, who has had a productive preseason, makes the rotation over Dillingham. Therein lies the burning question entering the season opener.
Who backs up Mike Conley this season?
Equally as important, the Wolves need all the defensive tools they can get on the court this season if they want to be the NBA’s greatest defense again. Dillingham and Hyland will not get minutes for their defense. To counterbalance what should be a productive offensive bench (Reid, DiVincenzo, Shannon, and Dillingham/Hyland), Finch needs to find minutes for Clark, who has a vision for what Minnesota’s defense should look like this season.
“Just be antagonizing,” said Clark. “Getting under people’s skin. Just being the people nobody wants to go play against, like what Detroit used to be in the Bad Boy era. … You just knew you were in for a long night.”
After missing his rookie year because of an Achilles injury he suffered at UCLA, Clark proved last season that his elite-level defense in college translates to the pros. He’s a relentless point-of-attack defender inside an NFL safety’s body. Clark’s defense as a first-year player last season was so impressive that it probably gave the Wolves more confidence that they could move on from Alexander-Walker without becoming worse defensively.
This guy has to get regular minutes this year.pic.twitter.com/d31auMQsFx https://t.co/GDet0JqJOi
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) October 8, 2025
Not only does Clark impressively defend the point of attack, but he also does all of the little things that are important for a team that emphasizes defense. Simply put, he is not fun to play against. Clark is draining, relentless, and downright uncomfortable for the opposition.
Much like a Minnesota winter is to visitors.
Finch said the end of his rotation could be situational this season. Some nights, he could roll with Dillingham or Hyland if the Wolves need more pace. Other nights, Clark could be in the mix if there is a difficult defensive matchup on the perimeter.
But Clark has made the case to be an every-game player. His defense aligns with how the Wolves want to play. Clark could help bridge the defensive gap that arose with Gobert on the bench. His offense, which consists of off-ball cutting, reliable three-point shooting, and movement, is unproblematic.
Clark grew up in the warm California suburb of Riverside, east of Los Angeles. He went to UCLA. But now, Clark is ready to make the frigid elements that come with a Minnesota winter a part of the Timberwolves’ identity. The team wants to be a defensive powerhouse in the NBA, so adapting his mindset would be beneficial. Playing him every night would be even more so.