Hindsight is 20-20, but in the case of Utah Jazz shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, I'm not so sure. Clarkson continued his struggles in Monday night’s 130-113 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
The former Sixth Man of the Year finished the contest with seven points on 3-for-14 shooting while logging 29 minutes. The most eye-popping stat was his five turnovers. Through eight games, Clarkson is averaging a career-high 3.5 turnovers per contest.
Yes, it’s early in the season. However, when Utah signed Clarkson to a three-year extension worth $51 million in a market that wasn’t player-friendly, it raised a few eyebrows.
The issues with Clarkson aren’t that he’s not a player worthy of rotational minutes in today's NBA, but how he fits with the Jazz moving forward. Entering his 10th season, Clarkson has primarily come off the bench before Will Hardy arrived, and there’s a reason why.
It would behoove the Hardy regime to strongly consider removing Clarkson from the starting lineup moving forward. Here are three reasons why.
Doesn't Serve Offense
Clarkson is an elite shot-creator who excels at scoring off the dribble. It’s a skill set that will always be in demand but doesn’t always mesh well playing with the team's best players on schedule.
Clarkson can disrupt the flow of an offense due to the need to over-dribble to get his points. Often, it can fill up a stat sheet, but it begs the question: What is Clarkson doing to make his teammates better?
Defensive Liability
Also, aligning Clarkson’s minutes with the opponent's best offensive players doesn’t produce positive results. Despite possessing a 6-foot-10 wing span, he has always been a below-average defender.
Last season, Clarkson yielded a 120.3 defensive rating, while the team finished at 117.1. In Layman's terms, the Jazz were a better defensive unit with Clarkson on the bench.
Two Similar Sixth Men
Finally, considering the Jazz already have Collin Sexton under contract through 2025-26, the Clarkson extension was even more puzzling. Yes, they’re different players, but at the end of the day, the pair provides high energy and the ability to score in bunches. though it requires a lot of dribbling to get the points.
Utah is allocating $40 million for the pair. Dedicating 29% of the salary cap for a sixth man isn’t a recipe for success.
That said, Utah did front-load Clarkson’s deal, making him a more tradable piece down the road. After this season, he’s owed $28.3 million over the next two years, but the way his play is trending, it might be a contract that’s difficult to move until the year it expires.
What it Means
Moving Clarkson out of the starting lineup wouldn't suddenly make the Jazz a contender or solve the need for a starting shooting guard. Ochai Agbaji and Keyonte George are candidates for that role, but the jury is still out on whether they’re equipped to take over at the moment.
The sooner the two lottery picks are given enough live reps to make that determination, the sooner the Jazz will know what path to take for a long-term solution.
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