Jaylen Clark Interview with Wolves VOX Alan Horton

Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark sits down for an interview with Timberwolves VOX Alan Horton

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
All right, Wolves fans, weget set for Las Vegas Summer League.

(00:02):
As the Wolves head out to Vegasfor at least five games in the desert.
Might be nice and hot outside,but be nice and cool inside.
Jaialen Clark is along with me here, and Jalen has been a long road.
I sat near you a lot duringthe regular season during practices coming off
the Achilles' injury. How is itfelt to get back on the floor.
It felt great, man. It'sjust a blessing to be back out here.

(00:23):
Having something taken away from you likethat so fast and so soon,
It's just a blessing to be ableto get back out here and move how
I previously moved. I feel likeI don't feel like I really lost a
step or nothing like that. Thankfully, I'm twenty two years old, so
that may have something to do withit. But I would imagine that's the
longest break you've had from basketball inyour life. How tough was it to
go through some of the highs andlows of you know, being patient and

(00:45):
getting back healthy. Yeah, atthe beginning, it was hard for sure,
Like once the injury happened right away, but after about a month or
two it was. I'm more ofa realist, like this didn't happen.
Ain't nobody else feeling sorry for me? Like everybody else's life is moving on.
How can I make the best outof it? And landing in Minnesota?
Would that helped me out a lot? You feel like the Achilles is
good to go? Yeah, yeah, for sure, I'm not. I

(01:07):
don't even think about it when Iplay, like it doesn't come across my
mind. So all right, soyou're out there with the guys finally five
on five? What are you lookingforward to it at summer lake Man?
Just like re establishing everything I didin college, not living in the past,
but just saying showing I'm a great, great, great defender. I
can hit an open shot now,I can rebound at a high level,
and I can fill spots like I'ma great plug and play guy. I

(01:32):
know my role. I'm not tryingto step outside. I know here we
got Anthony Edwards. Nah's cat likethose people do the scoring. It's just
like, how can I fit aroundit for Coach Finch to be able to
put me in the game. SoI understand that. What kind of things
you pick up watching those guys allyear? Whether it's Kat, whether it's
Ants, whether it's Mike Conley runningthe point. Yeah, for sure.
When you went and I understand,he draws a lot of attention. So

(01:55):
if you want to get open,if you can learn how to playoff him,
set his screen, flip swip out, crash back door like, he
just commands so much attention if youwant free shots, I don't know who
else it's better to play with atthis moment than him, Mike Conley.
I know he's always scanning the floor. So if you can do a quick
backcut or just any type of movementwhere you can get a sep on your

(02:15):
defender, you will get the ball. And then with Kat, if you
could feed him if you want toassist, if you get big Fellow the
ball down low. I mean he'sone of the most skilled bigs I've ever
seen. I don't know about you, but at least me up close.
So yeah, I've I understand howto play the game. And beyond me,
while you weren't able to be outthere on the floor, were you
able to work on your body inother ways? I mean, you look

(02:35):
bigger, you look stronger than maybea year ago. Yeah, for sure,
I think some of that comes withmaturin, but the weight room was
my best friend while I was out. I'm always in there because that's where
you rehab as well. They gotme into swimming, boxing, just doing
the whole array of things to helpprogress and keep building on my body while
I wasn't able to fully put weighton my right leg. It's funny you

(02:58):
weren't able to go to Vegas lastyear, but now I feel like you're
almost a veteran going into this thingeven though you haven't played there. It
does feel weird for sure, inVegas. That's a long trip, man
to two weeks. But hopefully wego out there and win the whole thing.
I don't know if we've ever ifMinnesota's ever won it, but that'd
be a cool feat. I don'tthink. I don't think the Wolves have,
but you know, because you haveto almost go undefeated in the regular

(03:20):
part of it, and I knowsometimes players like they play good, they
sit down and stuff like that,so that all but hopefully, I mean,
shoot, I'm playing on playing thewhole time, so there are no
restrictions for you, right, No, not at all. Jillen. Great
to catch up with your best bestin Las Vegas, Yes sir, thank
you. Jalen Clark along with mehere as we get set for Wolf Summer
League. Fans