Jaylen Clark didn’t overhaul his jumper to become a more useful piece for the Timberwolves. He didn’t rebuild his mechanics or scrub out some glaring flaw.
The shot still looks mostly the same. What’s changed is the way he’s carrying it.
That was on display in a Sunday-night workout at the Timberwolves’ downtown Minneapolis practice facility, where Clark was alone with a rebound machine and knocked down his first 20 three-point attempts. In the full session, he went 173-for-231, or 75%, according to his latest YouTube video. For a player whose shooting has been a question throughout his three NBA seasons, that kind of workout is becoming routine.
The bigger shift is happening in games. Clark is hitting 38.1% of his threes on 2.1 attempts through 11 games this season, a clear step up from last year, when he shot 32.7% from deep over 68 games for Minnesota. The difference, Clark says, is confidence.
That confidence has come with opportunity. Anthony Edwards’ knee injury pushed Clark into a real rotation role, and he’s responded by looking like a player who finally believes he belongs. Since Edwards’ right knee surgery sidelined him for multiple months, Clark has averaged 18.6 minutes over seven games and has played with a steadier offensive pulse than he ever has at the NBA level.
“I feel like I belong,” Clark said in his YouTube video. “I feel like I’m supposed to be out here. All those little things help keep building confidence, and that’s all the NBA is.”
That’s a meaningful shift for a player who started the season outside Chris Finch’s rotation, which has been a familiar place for Clark since the Wolves drafted him 53rd out of UCLA in 2023. His defense has never been the issue.
Clark thinks he can make an All-Defensive team, and the way he combines foot speed, aggression and strength to shut down an opponent on his own makes that feel realistic. But to get there, he has to stay on the floor.
For much of his first three seasons, the offense kept him from doing that. Now, the minutes are steadier, and so is the shot. Since Edwards went down, Clark is shooting 40% from deep and has taken 20 threes, the most he’s attempted in a seven-game span in his career, per Stathead.
The results have shown up in different ways. A day after that 20-in-a-row workout, Clark went 1 of 6 from the floor against the Bucks. Two days later, he bounced back with 4 of 6 shooting, 2 of 3 from deep, and a season-high tying 10 points in 25 minutes during Minnesota’s 117-107 win over the Rockets in Houston.
That’s the version of Clark the Wolves have been waiting for: not hesitant, not shrinking after a miss, but attacking with purpose. What used to be an offensive liability has become something Minnesota can use - floor spacing, straight-line aggression, and enough shot-making to keep defenses honest while Edwards is out.
The timing matters because the Wolves are still dealing with more than one absence. Edwards was in the practice facility this week on crutches two weeks after surgery, though the team is reportedly encouraged by his rehab progress.
Donte DiVincenzo is also rehabbing after a torn Achilles in the playoffs and plans to return this season. Both are expected back later on, though Edwards remains much farther from a return.
That creates a real question for Clark down the line. Once the Wolves get two starting-caliber guards back, he could easily slide out of Finch’s rotation and return to a more limited role, the kind he’s had before when Minnesota needed defense in a pinch.
But that’s not the present reality. Right now, Clark is a major reason the Wolves have held together through this stretch.
Minnesota is 5-2 since Edwards’ injury, and Clark has helped drive that run. The opportunity he got because of Edwards’ absence has turned into his best look yet at what he can be.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Defense Is Forcing A Bigger Conversation About Their Ceiling
The early shape of Minnesotas season has been defined by a defense that has given opponents very little room to breathe. Even with Anthony Edwards missing several games, the Timberwolves have built an 8-3 start on the back of a unit that has consistently bothered ballhandlers, closed off clean looks from deep and made every possession feel like a grind.
What makes it more interesting is that this is no longer just about surviving while the offense finds its footing. The Wolves have been good enough on that end to force a bigger conversation about how high their ceiling can go if the defensive standard holds, especially once the roster is whole and the attack catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Ayo Dosunmu Explained Whats Fueling His Timberwolves Surge
Ayo Dosunmu has settled into a much bigger role since Anthony Edwards went down with a knee injury, and the early returns have been hard to miss. The guard has brought a sharper scoring punch to the starting lineup, while also giving Minnesota a steadier decision-making presence. Over the last stretch, his shot-making has been efficient enough to stand out even in a rotation that has had to adjust on the fly.
Chris Finch and Dosunmu both pointed to the same broader theme behind the uptick: the way the offense is opening up around him. With Rudy Gobert setting strong screens and helping create cleaner looks at the rim, Dosunmu has found more room to operate and more chances to attack in rhythm. For a Timberwolves team trying to keep its footing through an injury-driven shuffle, that kind of fit matters, even if the full picture of how long it lasts is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Make A Frontcourt Move With Anthony Edwards Still Out
With Anthony Edwards still sidelined by a knee injury, the Timberwolves have added some frontcourt depth as they try to keep their strong start rolling. Minnesota brought in Johni Broome on a two-way deal, a move that gives the club another developmental big while it waits for one of its top scorers to return.
Broome arrives with some recent NBA experience after spending time with the 76ers and Clippers, and he was the 35th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. For a Wolves team trying to hold steady through Edwards absence, the addition is a low-risk way to shore up the roster and see whether Broome can carve out a role while the lineup is in flux. [Read more 🡒]