Jaylen Clark says he’s probably playing the wrong sport.
“I probably should have played football,” he joked after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 128-102 win over the Utah Jazz on March 16. “Like a safety.”
Never mind that Clark is tied with Darren Collison for the third-most steals in a season at UCLA (78), ahead of Baron Davis, Norman Powell, and Lonzo Ball. Or that he may have broken the record and become a first-round pick if he hadn’t ruptured his Achilles.
Clark’s defensive playstyle is evidence of his claim. Although he was a sound defender, Mick Cronin played him off the ball, allowing him to roam and pick off passes or pickpocket opponents.
“In college, I ain’t guard the ball that much. I was more flying around off [of it],” he said. “My coach would put us on like a secondary or whatever, just let me play free safety. I would just fly around the floor.”
Clark is unique in that he plays a fun, creative game. However, it’s rooted in defensive fundamentals, and he operates in the shadows.
It’s hard not to fall in love with Anthony Edwards. He’s brash, dunks on people, and has an insatiable desire to win. He could be the face of the league, but he doesn’t want that.
However, appreciating Clark is more like Jaden McDaniels, Edwards’ sidekick. McDaniels doesn’t say much but hounds the opposing team’s best defender. The Wolves go as McDaniels goes. At his best, he can scramble an opposing team’s best offensive player while providing valuable secondary scoring.
The Wolves won’t rely on Clark in the same capacity as McDaniels. Clark is healthy for the first time this year, and he’s more of a 3-and-D wing-stopper who can shoot from the corners. Still, that fits what the Wolves need, and Chris Finch has trusted him since Clark’s January 9 debut.
“[Clark] adds to our defensive identity,” Finch said on March 16. “So, I think that’s important, doubling down on what we’re already good at or what we have the ability to be really good at.”
Finch also emphasized Clark’s offensive ability. While Clark averages 4.6 points in 14 minutes per night, he’s shooting 44.7% from 3. That spaces the floor by keeping opposing defenses honest, allowing Finch to deploy Clark for stretches without sacrificing offense.
“I trust him implicitly,” said Finch. “I trust him offensively as much as I trust him defensively. That’s just as important right now.
“If you go out there, fit in, and he makes a lot of really nice, smart, heady plays. Little bounce passes in traffic and usually cuts and screens and moves around without the ball well. Gets offensive rebounds, just all the little things that he can do without taking a big chunk out of an offense.”
That doesn’t mean Clark’s game isn’t exciting. He picks off passes like a safety and snatches inbound passes. He hounds opponents on the wing and makes life difficult for players bringing the ball up.
“It’s just always something I’ve done,” said Clark, referring to hounding ball-handlers. “People relax up there.”
“[Wolves assistant coach] Pablo Prigioni was teaching me how to practice all his little tricks and everything, so he ran up to me when I got the first [steal]. But it just brings a different element to the game, gives your guys behind you time to set up, and it makes them uncomfortable.”
Still, Clark is good with Minnesota’s stars getting the glory.
“A lot of guys really don’t have a great handle, but they’re able to just walk the ball up,” he said on March 16. “So, even like, I don’t know the guy’s name, but I turned to him twice. He just bounced it off his foot, and T.J. [Terrence Shannon Jr.] picks it up, throws it to Ant, and he dunks it.”
A selfless player who plays sound defense and can hit corners 3s? That sounds like a first-round pick who fell because of injury. Minnesota got a steal. Clark operates in the shadows, and it looks like he’s here to stay.