Jordan McLaughlin skied far higher than someone his size should be able to elevate for a rebound in the fourth quarter of Friday’s win over Cleveland to snag a defensive rebound. He quickly turned, looked up court and saw a wide-open Kyle Anderson streaking down the floor.
McLaughlin whipped the ball and hit Anderson in stride, and Anderson capitalized with an authoritative dunk to put Minnesota up 13 with seven minutes to play.
Those are the plays McLaughlin has always brought to Minnesota. The combination of effort, skill and smarts allow the point guard who’s small in stature to have a huge impact on the contest. He dictates pace and generates movement. McLaughlin is the definition of a spark plug.
In that way, he’s always been valuable in whatever minutes he’s received. He is an asset who Timberwolves coach Chris Finch knew he could plug in and play for a needed jolt.
Now, the need is to have McLaughlin on the floor every game, no matter the opponent or situation.
Because you can’t leave someone this good on the pine for all 48 minutes.
“J-Mac is playing otherworldly right now. He’s just come in and changed the game for us. Shooting with so much confidence,” Finch said. “Making all the normal J-Mac plays. Getting 50-50 balls. Competing for the ball in the air. Flying around. Getting his hands on stuff.”
The latter has always been there for McLaughlin. But it’s the shooting that’s been a clear separator this season. The perceived Achilles’ heel for the 27-year-old floor general has always been his outside shot. But he’s shooting 45 percent from deep this year.
Over his last 19 games, McLaughlin is a blistering 22 for 37 from beyond the arc. That includes his 4 for 4 showing from deep against the Cavaliers.
“J-Mac has been unbelievable. It’s great to see the ball go in the hole the way that it is, because he works harder than anybody. He’s always in the gym early, staying late, and he’s proving a lot of people wrong in the sense that he probably came in not being known as a shooter and he might be our best 3-point shooter at the moment,” Mike Conley said. “We trust him. He’s been out there doing his thing, and he’s earning his time on that court.”
Finch has had to be creative to find that time, but he’s making any possible effort to get McLaughlin minutes, even with Minnesota having strong, veteran point guards in Conley and Monte Morris. On Friday, that meant trotting out a three point guard lineup, which was also effective for the Wolves.
Good basketball players find a way to make any situation work. And McLaughlin is a good player. Over the last month, Minnesota is out-scoring opponents by 18 points per 100 possessions when McLaughlin is on the floor, easily giving him the team’s best net rating in that span.
Everything McLaughlin is doing at the moment closely resembles the basketball he played in the latter portion of the 2021-22 campaign, which culminated with the guard closing in Minnesota’s Game 6 defeat to Memphis in the first round of the playoffs.
That year, McLaughlin was a net rating king who shot 40 percent from three over the final two and a half months of the season. That performance led to increased expectations last year. Unfortunately for McLaughlin, a calf strain derailed his campaign. Even when he returned, he obviously wasn’t himself. There was no explosion or quickness. The jump shot fell off the map. He looked like a shell of himself.
But those memories are quickly fading. McLaughlin’s play this season suggests last year was an anomaly linked only to the injury. Because he again looks like a must-play point guard capable of igniting an offense.
“I feel good right now. Body feels good, developing a good rhythm right now,” he said. “Everybody on this team is playing well, so just happy to be able to help contribute to winning.”
Indeed, Minnesota’s offense is finally starting to generate a consistent flow in which everyone moves and thrives. That’s the type of basketball Finch desires. It’s the type of basketball McLaughlin’s mere presence on the floor breeds.
“He’s a guy that’s like a natural ball-mover. He’s a natural just with his high IQ, making plays and getting loose balls, just keeping plays alive. When you’re on the court with somebody like that, you can be live at any point,” Conley said. “So he definitely affects the game every time he comes in, for however long he plays. So it’s just been a blessing, obviously, to be on the same court with him at the same time and kind of get all of our games going.”
The past week-plus has signified some of Minnesota’s best offense of the entire season.
“It’s great. You know where guys are going to be, you know what they’re going to do,” McLaughlin said. “You start to find a rhythm. You know you’re going to be getting the ball on offense, you move freely when everybody is rotating and flying around, so we’re in a good spot right now.”
Consider it the Jordan McLaughlin effect.
Related Articles
Timberwolves have six in double figures in win over Cleveland
Timberwolves’ evolving Anthony Edwards is playing some of best basketball of his career
Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore submit financial documents to buy Timberwolves and Lynx, report says
Charges: Timberwolves employee stole high-ranking team official’s hard drive containing personal and work information
Short-handed Timberwolves put up stiff fight, fall at horn to Denver
“I think he’s an energy guy and that’s something that we need,” Naz Reid said. “So I mean, definitely, definitely need him on the floor.”
Leave a Reply