18 October 2023
It was quintessential Jordan McLaughlin.
Naz Reid had just buried a 3-point shot early in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ preseason game in New York on Saturday. The Knicks’ ensuing inbounds pass following Reid’s long-range basket was slightly lackadaisical.
And, sure enough, McLaughlin made them pay. He jumped the pass to steal the inbounds. McLaughlin then started a possession flush with various actions and a lot of ball movement. It all ended in the point guard splashing a 3-pointer.
The play lined up perfectly with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch’s training camp assessment of the floor general: the point guard looks like the McLaughlin of old.
“He definitely does. He’s playing at a super-high level. He’s lost some weight, his body fat is down, he’s coming into camp in great shape,” Finch said. “He’s always been a catalyst for that second unit when he’s healthy, playing at a high level. He’s a plus-minus driver. Yeah, he looks really good right now.”
That was not the state of McLaughlin’s game just six months ago. The point guard missed 39 games last season, largely due to a calf injury. When returning to action, he struggled mightily. After being a playoff hero of sorts the year before, McLaughlin logged just 16 total minutes in the Timberwolves’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
There were multiple times when McLaughlin would attempt to drive into the lane, only to have his layup easily stuffed by a larger defender.
At the time, it was fair to ask, “What is he thinking?”
The answer was that he was capable of doing what he usually could when healthy. But the reality is McLaughlin was not healthy at the end of last season.
“I think it was just the injury. Just trying to fight through that. I wouldn’t say I was 100 percent healthy,” McLaughlin said. “I was just healthy enough to get back out there. But just wasn’t myself.”
McLaughlin’s physical game is centered on his speed and quickness. It’s those traits, along with his high IQ, that allow him to compensate for a lack of size and shooting. Slow McLaughlin down and you’ll have a far less effective player.
“It was definitely frustrating, but just trying to fight through it, push through it and do what I could. I was doing what I could out there, and it just wasn’t enough,” McLaughlin said. “But just took the time to get back fully healthy this offseason, and I’m just ready to go.”
He spent the offseason training in California, rehabbing his body back to full strength. The guard is confident he has regained his explosiveness. His early play and the reports of others suggest that’s true.
“I love J-Mac. He look good, actually. He’s been looking good in training camp,” Wolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “So yeah, we looking forward to him getting back to himself.”
How much will McLaughlin see of the floor for Minnesota this season? His lack of playoff playing time with last year’s severely injured roster, plus the offseason addition of Shake Milton, suggested the fifth-year guard may not see much action.
But there are signs that McLaughlin may again be working himself into a potential role in the rotation. For instance, he was one of the team’s top 10 players who watched Tuesday’s preseason game in sweats.
“We’ve got a lot of guys on this team that can play on any team in the NBA, so just going in there, competing, having fun, winning the day. And then whatever Coach feels is right for the team, he’ll make the decision,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve always had to prove myself from Day 1. Plenty of people have doubted me and said I couldn’t play in the NBA. Yet here I am in my fifth year, I’m blessed to be here, excited to be here. I’ll continue to work every day, just prove doubters wrong.”
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