Despite being a bench guard, Jordan McLaughlin has had one of the most tumultuous tenures of any player on the Wolves in the past season. Two seasons ago, Jordan was a bright spot, turning his back-to-back years as a two-way player into a contract extension. However, he started last year off fighting for bench minutes with Leandro Bolmaro and Jaylen Nowell.
Now he sits firmly behind D’Angelo Russell as the backup point guard and is a vital part of the team’s success, playing unselfish basketball and making high-IQ plays every time he is on the floor. How did this all change so quickly, and how did he become one of the most vital bench pieces on the roster?
Last season started rough for JMac. He played in 16 of the 20 games, averaging 10.3 minutes per game off the bench. But he averaged 1.9 points, 2.1 assists, and poor shooting splits of 30.6/17.6/71.4 in that stretch. He was not contributing to winning basketball, leading Chris Finch to go to other options. McLaughlin eventually became a DNP, only playing due to injuries to other players and getting blowout run.
It was a meaningful fall from grace, but it wasn’t the biggest concern to the Wolves. Jaylen Nowell and Anthony Edwards could step up into those duties. McLaughlin is also on a team-friendly 3-year, $6.48 million deal. Therefore, some people may not have noticed that Finch had reduced his minutes.
McLaughlin would continue to see limited minutes over the next 20 games or so. Then Russell began to have minor injuries flare up, and it became increasingly clear that Leandro Bolmaro was not ready for NBA minutes. The Wolves had no choice but to plug JMac back into the rotation. McLaughlin suddenly had to return to form and pick up some crucial minutes for the team.
It was a completely different story this time around. McLaughlin was vital to the team from the middle of the season through the end of the year. He dramatically improved his numbers and played well, earning his respect back from the team while holding down the backup point guard role. Here is the drastic difference in counting stats between his first and second-half games. 
That shows how vital McLaughlin is when he is on his game. He fills a massive role of an unselfish creator who can also add enough scoring upside from open looks to keep the defense honest. What stands out even more? The difference in wins this past season compared to losses and how it coincides with McLaughlin’s stats.
The correlation should be very telling. It influenced the playoffs, where McLaughlin had a solid performance. We are already getting glimpses of what he can offer in the preseason. McLaughlin is creating value from consistency and setting others up alone. He and Gobert have shown chemistry already in the pick-and-roll, offering easy shots around the rim for either of them or a kick out to a shooter.
JMac’s most valuable ability is to play with other guards and still offer something off-ball. McLaughlin shot 55% on corner threes this past season, ranking him in the 94th percentile for all point guards in the league. It isn’t a high-volume shot, but McLaughlin’s ability to sit in the corner while others such as Russell, Edwards, and Nowell handle the ball above the break. That makes him more versatile than expected for an undersized point guard. He can be valuable in a multitude of ways.
While the Wolves still look to acclimate themselves to new changes, ironing out the rotation and lineup combinations, they can rely on McLaughlin to be a stable high-floor output player off the bench when they need him to be. It’s an incredible turnaround from the now fourth-year player.
