2024 NBA Summer League Game Thread: Wolves vs Pelicans Preview

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Las Vegas to start the Summer League as teams watch their young players take the stage, some for the first time. Minnesota’s assistant coach Chris Hines will lead a team that has new draftees Rob Dillingham and Terrance Shannon Jr. joining the existing team in Jaylen Clark, Josh Minott and Leonard Miller. Minnesota takes on New Orleans and start their 4-game sprint to reach the Summer League playoffs. The Timberwolves have reached the Summer League Championship twice (2016, 2019) but have never won the championship. This year, they look to finally break through with a lot of intriguing names on the roster.

Game Info

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans
• When: Friday, July 12th at 4:00 PM CT
• Where: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
• TV: ESPN2

Rosters

What to Watch For

Debuts

The most fun part about summer league is seeing players first step into professional basketball action. The Wolves have several of these guys on the roster this season which should make a fun viewing experience for the fans. Rob Dillingham, Terrance Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark are all making their debuts for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dillingham comes in with higher expectations being the 8th overall selection that the Wolves acquired using their 2031 first round pick, but all three are champing at the bit to get their NBA careers started. This is especially the case for Jaylen Clark, who has had to sit out for a year rehabbing an Achilles injury he sustained at the end of the 2023 college season.

All three of these players have very different skillsets but each could make a great first impression in the Summer League, allowing them start the season on a good note. Connelly has already stated that Dillingham will play for the Wolves this season and there are other spots up for grabs with the Wolves losing a few veterans at the back end of their rotation in Kyle Anderson, Jordan McLaughlin and Monte Morris.

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Jaylen Clark’s Defense

Jaylen Clark won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 for his superb perimeter defense in his Junior season at UCLA. He has the body and the intensity to be a great point of attack defender and was just that for the majority of his time in college. Standing at 6’4” with a 6’9” wingspan, he was usually given the hardest assignment defensively and succeeded greatly in that role. With the ability to slide his feet to go along with his active hands, he is extremely good at making the offensive players uncomfortable and generating turnovers.

Because of this, I would love to see Clark guard Jordan Hawkins, the SG from UCONN, who was a lottery pick in the 2023 draft. Hawkins played in 67 games last year for the Pelicans and averaged 17.3 minutes per game for a team that made the playoffs. He is a great shooter and will most likely be featured on this New Orleans Summer League roster. Off the bat, Jaylen Clark has a great ability to show off his defensive skillset against an NBA level guard who started 10 games last season. This is a perfect chance for Clark to start his playing career off with a bang and an opportunity he has been waiting to have for over a year now.

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Filling the Kyle Anderson Role

The biggest loss for the Wolves this offseason was Kyle Anderson leaving for the Golden State Warriors in free agency on a 3-year, $27 million dollar deal. The contract was too rich for a Minnesota team that is already paying an exorbitant amount of tax on the existing roster. With Anderson on his way out, there is a lot of depth chart competition on a team that has championship aspirations. Joe Ingles and Rob Dillingham are the frontrunners right now and will most likely take those 8th and 9th slots. Luka Garza and P.J. Dozier are also on a guaranteed deals, but that does not mean the young guys don’t have a chance to earn roles on this team. Josh Minott, Leonard Miller, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark will all be fighting for depth chart positioning.

Josh Minott is probably the closest facsimile to what Slow-Mo brought to the table, but all of the players have an opportunity to move up in the pecking order. While I am very high on Joe Ingles and Rob Dillingham and am extremely excited to see them play on the Wolves, the NBA season is long, and people miss games for a variety of reasons. When they do, it is important that teams have guys that can step up and perform when their number is called. Summer League is the first opportunity these young players have to make an impression and set themselves up for a role come October. This is something to keep in mind as you watch the game on Friday.

Friday kicks off the weeklong affair for the Wolves as they hope to advance to their third Summer League Championship in team history. It is the first page in what will become the new book that is the 2024-25 Timberwolves. Check out the game on ESPN2 and ride into the weekend with some hoops.