With Anthony Edwards nursing that hamstring like it’s a Fabergé egg, Chris Finch has been forced to rummage through the bench like a dad searching for spare batteries. Enter the kids, Jaylen Clark, Rob Dillingham, and Terrence Shannon Jr. The Timberwolves’ youngsters are three wildly different prospects who’ve all been given just enough rope to intrigue us and frustrate us in equal measure.
So, in true Wolves fandom fashion, we asked: who deserves more minutes off the bench?
And in even truer Wolves fandom fashion, the results were definitive but complicated.
The People’s Choice: Jaylen Clark (57%)
This wasn’t close. More than half of Wolves fans went with the rookie pitbull out of UCLA, a defensive maniac whose game is about as subtle as a brick through a windshield.
It’s easy to see why. Minnesota’s defense, once a snarling, switch-happy monster that made life miserable for opponents, has turned into a leaky faucet. They’ve been alternating between “1990s Knicks intensity” and “2024 All-Star Game defense” depending on the quarter. And after giving up 83 points in one half to the Knicks on Wednesday night, the fan base’s patience ran out faster than Rudy Gobert’s midrange jumper.
Clark represents the fix everyone wishes could be that simple. He plays like someone permanently mad about being drafted in the second round. Stick him next to Jaden McDaniels and Ant, and you have the defensive wing trio from hell. The problem is what comes after that: how do you play Clark heavy minutes without completely nuking the offense? The man can defend in his sleep, but he’s not exactly Steph Curry on the other end.
Still, Wolves fans aren’t wrong. When this team starts caring again on defense, it’ll start with effort, and no one on this roster oozes effort like Clark.
The Optimist’s Bet: Rob Dillingham (22%)
Every Wolves era has a “what if” point guard. Jonny Flynn. Kris Dunn. Even Ricky Rubio, who was too perfect for this world. Dillingham’s the latest entry in that lineage, drafted 8th overall in 2024 with the promise of giving this franchise a long-term lead guard.
So far? Let’s call it a work in progress.
He’s flashy. He’s fun. And he’s also inconsistent enough to make Finch’s hairline recede faster than the Wolves’ third-quarter leads. Still, there’s hope here. Dillingham’s minutes have been more meaningful this season, and every once in a while you see that spark that makes you think, “Yeah, this could be something.”
Wolves fans with a long memory know what it’s like to give up on young guards too soon. The 22% who voted for Rob aren’t just thinking about now; they’re thinking about March, about year two, about what happens when Mike Conley finally runs out of magic dust. If this team wants to stabilize the point guard spot for good, Dillingham’s development can’t just be a subplot. It has to be a storyline.
The Forgotten Man: Terrence Shannon Jr. (20%)
This summer, Shannon looked like the second coming of Jimmy Butler. He was bullying smaller wings, attacking downhill, and walking around Summer League like a guy who already had his rotation spot. Fast forward a few weeks, and… well, not so much.
Through the early stretch of this season, Shannon’s been a mix of “almost there” and “please stop dribbling.” The finishing hasn’t been there, the turnovers have been rough, and the confidence looks like it got left back in Vegas. Still, the talent hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s the only one of these three who has already proven he can hold his own in real NBA minutes.
The Defense Problem: It’s Not One Guy — It’s Everyone
Our second poll question dug into the bigger issue: defense. Specifically, what could get the Wolves’ defense back on track.
Here’s the short version of the results: Wolves fans are smarter than people think.
Only 14% thought “more Jaylen Clark” was the solution. Only 13% thought it was getting Ant back. And just 7% thought “better Rudy Gobert” was the magic fix. The other two-thirds said it’s a team-wide effort issue.
That’s exactly it. You can’t patch a hole in the hull with one more perimeter defender. You can’t fix help rotations with “hope Ant’s back soon.” You can’t even count on Rudy to erase every mistake anymore, not when the perimeter’s a turnstile.
Defense in the NBA isn’t about who’s guarding who; it’s about five guys being connected. Helping. Talking. Rotating. Competing. And lately, Minnesota’s been missing that collective pulse.
Gobert’s still the anchor. When he’s off the floor, the Wolves’ defense collapses like a flan in a cupboard. But he can’t do it alone. It’s everyone. And Wolves fans can feel when that effort isn’t there.
What’s Next
The good news? This isn’t terminal. The Wolves’ defensive ceiling is still top-five when they’re locked in. Edwards will return to form Finch will find the right rotations. And hopefully, one of those young guys, Clark, Dillingham, or Shannon, will grab their minutes and never give them back.
But until then, it’s about energy. It’s about caring. About not giving up 83 points in one half at Madison Square Garden and pretending that’s just “a tough shooting night.”
Because Wolves fans have seen this movie before, and they know how it ends.
If Minnesota wants a different outcome this time, it starts with the same thing every fan already voted for: a better team-wide effort.