Minnesota Timberwolves interested in signing free agent Ian Clark
The Minnesota Timberwolves have interest in signing former Golden State Warriors former point guard Ian Clark.
All the Minnesota Timberwolves have left to do this offseason is complete their bench. Once that task is completed, the 2017 offseason will go down as one of the most historic in team history. With the big signings they already made, it is easy to forget about one of their biggest downfalls last season: having one of the least productive benches in the NBA.
In efforts to avoid bench depth being an issue, the Timberwolves are still searching for quality role players. According to Darren Wolfson of 1500espn.com, Ian Clark is a free agent target for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Clark is 26 years old and entering his fifth year in the NBA. He is a solid two-way guard that is able to provide relief to the Wolves’ starting frontcourt. His numbers have increased the last two seasons and he has earned his place in the NBA as a quality bench player.
If signed, Ian Clark will bring some momentum to the Timberwolves that they currently do not have. He recently won his first NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. Clark wasn’t a standout on the Warriors by any means, but he did play an important role, contributing 14.8 minutes a game during the season.
The minutes Clark played for the Warriors were efficient. Last season he averaged a career-high 6.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He benefited playing with the Warriors, who seemed to picked up his level of play.
Prior to joining the Warriors in 2015, Clark had a forgettable 2014-15 season. Playing for three different teams, he averaged 1.2 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Luckily, he bounced back quickly with the Warriors, who ultimately saved his NBA career.
Can Ian Clark be effective without the Warriors?
It is hard to tell if Clark will be effective in another system. The Warriors have so much talent, which makes life a little easier for developing players like Clark. With the Timberwolves stocking up on talent right now, their roster should be an easy transition for Clark to fit into a similar role to what he had with the Dubs.
Last season, Clark was an effective scorer off the bench and provided exactly what the Warriors needed to get the job done.
The biggest knock on his game was his three-point consistency, but he wound up shooting a tidy 37.4 percent from downtown last year. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said the following about his role in a phone interview with NBCSportsBayArea.com.
"“If you look at last year’s roster, the one thing that was lacking was (3-point) shooting off the bench,” Kerr said. “Ian (Clark) did a great job. He was kind of prominent shooter off the bench. We have other guys who could score, but their main role is to do other things for us.”"
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Heading to Minnesota is a good fit for Clark because they score regardless of the three-ball. Last season the Wolves were 20th in the NBA in three-point percentage. Despite that low rank they still finished 10th in the NBA in offensive efficiency. They know how to score points without shooting lights out from three, but Ian Clark’s long range shooting would be a solid fit for the Minnesota Timberwolves.