Jordan McLaughlin has proved throughout the season that he is a valuable part of the Minnesota Timberwolves rotation. He plays with one of the fastest paces in the league at 105.28, hustles for every loose ball, and provides the team with a boost of energy when it’s needed. However, McLaughlin has been taking his game to an even higher level lately, scoring with more confidence and earning heavier minutes.
Chris Finch has been vocal with his praise of McLaughlin. In his postgame press conference after the Wolves beat the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Finch stated that McLaughlin has “been one of our best players. Period. No matter where he is.” Finch is correct, and McLaughlin’s growth has been a big part of Minnesota’s success this season. At nearly 26 years old, McLaughlin is entering the prime of his career and still has room to get even better.
Why did McLaughlin go undrafted?
J-Mac had a great career at USC. He played for four years and earned several spots in their record book. He had the second-most assists all-time in USC history and is first all-time in assist percentage and offensive win shares. McLaughlin also ranks fifth in the Pac-12’s all-time assists leader board, just ahead of McKinley Wright IV. In McLaughlin’s senior year, he ranked third in college basketball in total assists and assists per game, averaged two steals a game, and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
Despite all these accolades, McLaughlin went undrafted. He likely got overlooked partly due to the physical attributes NBA scouts look for in draft prospects, particularly height and wingspan. According to NBAdraft.net, McLaughlin stands at 5’11.5″ in shoes and has a 6’3.5″ wingspan. To say that this makes him undersized in the NBA is an understatement.
There are only five active players in the NBA who are shorter than McLaughlin. Only two other players under six feet tall have played more than 50 games for their respective teams this season — Facundo Campazzo and D.J. Augustin. Furthermore, Augustin is the only active player under six feet tall to get drafted in the first round. NBA scouts prioritize height when evaluating prospects, and “undersized” guards’ draft stock often suffers because of it. McLaughlin isn’t even short by normal human standards. The average height of an American male over 20 is about 5’9”. In contrast, the average height of a player in the NBA is currently around 6’4.7.
Regardless, McLaughlin has surpassed most of the barriers that come with having a height disadvantage in the NBA. He can use his quick first step and burst speed to get past unsuspecting defenders for layups. When McLaughlin doesn’t have an open shot, he knows how to get the ball to a teammate who does. He also has an underrated vertical and dunked his way to this amazing highlight reel in his rookie season.
What is his potential?
Although J-Mac is nearly 26, this is only his third year in the NBA. Staying four years at USC certainly helped McLaughlin polish his game. But there are a few things that players take a while to get adjusted to in the NBA, regardless of their age. One of the most tangible changes in the NBA is that the top of the three-point line arc is 23 feet and 9 inches from the hoop. When J-Mac was in college, the top of the three-point arc was 20 feet and 9 inches from the hoop. While three feet may not seem like a huge difference, players develop a consistent shot mechanic through years of practice and develop muscle memory that helps them recreate the same motion every time they shoot. Overwriting that muscle memory takes more practice and time, and some players take years to adjust to the change in distance.
McLaughlin was a very consistent three-point shooter in college, shooting around 40% in his final three years at USC on close to four attempts per game. J-Mac hasn’t been great from beyond the arc in his first three years with the Wolves. He shot 38.2% his rookie season, 35.9% his sophomore year, and 31.3% so far this season. However, McLaughlin has been shooting 47.1% on 1.8 attempts per game since the All-star break.
While 19 games is a small sample size, it is promising to see him start looking like the knockdown shooter he was in college. Becoming a more consistent shooter will open more options for him on offense. Many teams have a big who lurks near the paint to provide help on driving guards and swat shots near the rim. McLaughlin could opt not to dribble into the lane for tough shots amongst the trees in games against players like Rudy Gobert or Robert Williams. Instead, he could play a perimeter-oriented game similar to Fred VanVleet’s.
McLaughlin’s intelligence and ability to read offenses and defenses at an extremely high level is another factor that makes his ceiling higher than projected. In a recent postgame press conference, Finch noted that McLaughlin has done a better job of “understanding the tendencies of the guys he’s matched up against” as part of his recent improvement. He also said that J-Mac “is a very smart player. He’s always studying the game, knows the scouting report, knows exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Intelligence is often how undersized stars make their mark on the league. Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul are only six feet tall and have established themselves as elite point guards. Their ability to read opposing defenses not only helps them score but allows them to educate their teammates on how to get easy buckets. Paul has only scored over 20 points per game twice in his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping his team win. He’s led the league in assists per game four times, likely five after this season, and steals six times. Not to mention, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the best teams in the league since he arrived.
Of course, McLaughlin is unlikely to pass “The Point God” Paul in game sense. But as Finch pointed out, McLaughlin shares that natural intelligence and commitment to learning how to exploit matchups that great floor generals have. It’s extremely valuable for teams to have a backup point guard who is a consummate professional, especially if their starting guards are prone to injury.
Tyus Jones of the Memphis Grizzlies isn’t a particularly flashy player. He’s also an undersized guard who has played seven years in the league and has never averaged over 10 points or 5 assists per game in a season. However, he is the definition of consistency and an example of the value of not making mistakes. Jones has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio the last three seasons and is currently leading the league again this season. His commitment to always making the best play is part of why the Grizzlies are 20 and 3 without Ja Morant this season. McLaughlin shares this commitment with Jones and currently ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Regardless, McLaughlin has established himself as a rotation guard despite going undrafted and being “undersized,” a testament to his skill as a player and his commitment to working hard every day to get better. As Finch put it, “He just competes, and I just love guys who compete all the time.” It’ll be exciting to watch McLaughlin continue to develop throughout the rest of his career.
