Reusse: Whether in Vegas or Blaine, Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark is ready to work

Rudy Perpich was our governor with many dreams to make this a greater state to both reside and to visit. In that task, Perpich was in the 1980s picking up at the airport a guest with the capital to make a large investment here.

As they drove, the radio was turned to 1500 on the AM dial. Impersonators were calling a show titled “Monday Night Sports Talk,” and one of the co-hosts, Joe Soucheray, was moved to his trademark laughter that mimicked a quacking duck.

After several more minutes of absurdity, the sitting governor called the show, live, to chide the hosts for having ruined the sales pitch he planned to give his important passenger — that being, Minnesota was the “Brain State.”

Cancer got Rudy way too young, at 67 in 1995, but not before another of his dreams, a National Sports Center, was realized in what were then the largely open spaces in Blaine. The NSC opened in 1990, only three years after Rudy helped it through the Legislature.

There was a visit made there on Tuesday, for the purpose of checking out the interaction of Jaylen Clark, the best hope for the Timberwolves to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in future playoff series, and several scores of young hoopers attending a day camp.

There has been a tinge of sadness involved with entering the NSC grounds over the past five years, considering the structure that made it unique — that made it “pure Rudy” — no longer rests majestically on the grounds:

The Velodrome.

It was dismantled in 2020 due to the track falling into disrepair. Apologies are due to Rudy’s legacy.

Which gets us to the topic of the day (finally), that being Clark making an appearance at the Midwest Basketball Training Center that sits inside one of the NSC buildings. The sign that advertises it is small, but the gymnasium is huge — four full courts wide.

The Timberwolves have an involvement with these camps. On Tuesday, there were basically grade schoolers, boys and girls, being put through drills.

Look out for Sadie, a tiny girl, long ponytail, but relentless defending and getting up shots. And if blocked, retrieving the ball instantly, and driving again.

“That kid’s going to be the second coming of Paige Bueckers,” I said.

A staff member responded: “There’s her mom over there; she has four kids here.”

Clark showed up a few minutes later and watched bits of the action taking place at a half-dozen or more baskets.

How about that little tiger with the ponytail?

Clark smiled and said: “She’s going to be a player.”

The players from throughout the giant gym were summoned. They sat en masse on one of the courts for a brief Q&A with Clark. The campers asked real questions.

What’s the toughest part of being here, not home in California, after the season?

“Loneliness, being away from family and friends,” Clark said. “I get up and go to the gym for five hours every day. After that, there are still 19 hours left to a day.”

He was asked about the talent in the NBA. He assured the youngsters that everyone on an NBA roster was a tremendous player.

“Leonard Miller, he doesn’t play right now for us except for a few minutes,’’ Clark said. “But when we’re scrimmaging, whether it’s stars, starters, guys getting a lot of minutes … Leonard is trucking everybody."

After the Q&A, Clark watched some drills that were based on defensive fundamentals and offered critiques.

When a fake led to an overreaction by a defender, he said: “Don’t do that. That’s hard livin’ right there.”

Clark, a 6-foot-4 guard, was able to become coach Chris Finch’s ninth man in a mostly eight-player rotation. He had a stretch with considerable time but still played in only half the games and then five of 15 in the playoffs.

“It was disappointing at times because of my competitive nature, but I’m a worker, not a complainer,” he said later. “I’m going to be here all summer, along with the other young guys. And then most of us are going to play Summer League in Las Vegas again.”

Vegas, baby!

“I’m from Riverside; 2½ hours from Vegas,” Clark said. “Every big youth tournament was in Vegas. I’m sick of Vegas. I’m there to play basketball. You can have the rest of it.”

He paused and then said:

“That Twin Cities Pro-Am League at the high school [Minnehaha Academy]? I’m putting a Wolves team together with all the young players here this summer. Date’s not set, but we’re playing a game against a team from that league and we’re going to fill that gym.”

If Coach Finch shows up, maybe the crowd can chant, “Eight is not enough.”