Jaylen Clark’s standout defense and other observations from Timberwolves summer league

LAS VEGAS – Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark said he made a bet with one of his assistant coaches that he’d get five steals in Sunday’s game against the Pacers.

Clark did one better, as he ended up with six steals in the Wolves’ 105-94 victory over Indiana.

“I felt like I had more than six,” Clark said.

The 2023 second-round pick out of UCLA is participating in his first games of any kind since tearing his Achilles in his final season with the Bruins. On Friday, Clark felt like he was getting his legs back underneath him and just enjoying the moment playing against competition again.

“I was just out there smiling and running up and down,” Clark said. “And then I was like, ‘OK bro, now you gotta do something now.’ So two days ago it was me just taking it all in, today I told the coaches I’m good. I’m locked in and I’m ready to go.”

Coach Chris Hines said Clark’s effort on the defensive end won the Wolves the game. Clark was tenacious both on and off the ball in his ability to read plays and tendencies.

Clark said he was up late the previous night taking in film of Indiana’s first summer league game, trying to look for an edge.

“I’m seeing that when Jarace Walker puts it in his left hand, is he spinning or is he half-spinning? I look at all those types of things, and really just learning plays.”

He made a convert out of Hines, who said he was seeing just how effective Clark could be defensively for the first time.

“Everybody been tellin’ me about it. Now I am a believer,” Hines said. “He’s really good at it and I see why we got him.”

After No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham was deferential to his teammates and struggled to score in his summer league debut on Friday, he was more assertive out of the gate Sunday.

“I can’t really play the game not scoring the ball, so I gotta attack to create and I feel like that’s my game, so I can’t go away from my game,” Dillingham said. “I just watched film and thought about everything I needed to do and just came out a little bit more aggressive today.”

He hit his first three buckets of the day, including a pair of threes, but after that 3-for-3 start he went just 2-for-11 and finished with 14 points. But his eight assists were another positive sign of his ability to set up teammates and run the offense of a group that hasn’t played much together.

“I think he can be even better in terms of getting more assists,” Hines said. “Understanding he has so much wiggle in his game and he understands the dump off passes right now. Once he starts understanding how to read the floor, pick and roll, he’s going to be a beast in terms of having everybody involved.”

After the game, Wolves head coach Chris Finch pulled the guard aside to offer some advice on late-game situations in the Wolves’ close win.

“Little things I need to get better at. At the end, that three [Indiana hit] in the corner, I’m there but I’m not there enough,” Dillingham said. “These players are way taller, I gotta contest the shot, especially if we down three. Then also in the last minute, I went and drew the foul that was an offensive foul. I gave them two possessions. I just gotta know the time and clock, and shoot it in a certain time span so that they don’t get a double shot.”

After scoring 25 in his summer league debut, forward Terrence Shannon Jr. had a quiet start Sunday, but he still filled the stat sheet when all was said and done — 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting to lead the Wolves in scoring, to go with three blocks and two steals.

Shannon said he was dialed in on the defensive end during a first half in which he scored just five points.

“That’s how I come into the game — defensive minded — and that translates to offense,” Shannon said. “So just letting the game come to me. I don’t think score first is always the best mentality — just letting the game come to me, and just so happened to score in the second half.”