Once Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed with the Hawks this offseason, many pointed to Terrence Shannon Jr. as the guy who could take most of his minutes from the Timberwolves' roster. Fewer people mentioned Jaylen Clark despite his being able to replicate Alexander-Walker’s defensive abilities.
Both Shannon Jr. and Clark should be in the Wolves' rotation come October 22 when the Timberwolves take on the Trail Blazers in the regular season opener.
Jaylen Clark is the best defender off the Wolves' bench
Turning 24 today (October 13), Clark has scored just a total of two points in two preseason outings. It has been Clark's work on the defensive end, though, which is a continuation from last season, that should get Chris Finch’s attention.
The Timberwolves have built a defensive identity, finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating each of the last three seasons with Rudy Gobert. That includes finishing first in 2023-24. Shannon Jr., Naz Reid, and Donte DiVincenzo can be scorers off the bench, but Clark is arguably the second-best perimeter defender on the Timberwolves' roster (behind Jaden McDaniels). He is impactful both off the ball and guarding a defender one-on-one.
Jaylen Clark still might be a better off-ball defensive menace than a point of attacker defender -- and that's saying something.
Great awareness to come off his man and block this Jokic shot. His defense will create more transition opportunities when he's out there. pic.twitter.com/rR5HTG9uUs
— Howls And Growls (@HowlsHighlights) October 5, 2025
Last season, Clark had the best defensive box plus/minus on the team amongst players who saw the court for at least 300 minutes. The 6-foot-5 wing also averaged an impressive 2.5 steals per 36 minutes. That was the sixth-most in the NBA for those who played at least 500 minutes.
Clark should be receiving nightly playing time
The 53rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Clark missed his entire first year due to a torn left Achilles tendon that he suffered while at UCLA. The injury caused him to slip to the late second round in the draft.
Last season, he appeared in 40 games for a total of 522 minutes, but he only played garbage time minutes in the postseason. In the regular season, he posted averages of 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals. Clark shot an impressive 43.1% from 3-point territory, albeit on limited attempts (22-51).
Minnesota did not use free agency to properly replace Alexander-Walker. Instead, they are looking to the youth littered throughout the roster. Clark should be earmarked for at least 10-15 minutes a night to start the year because of his defensive tenacity.
It’s where the Timberwolves have built their identity and a major reason that the team has reached back-to-back conference finals. Clark can further help keep it that way.