Oct 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) drives to the basket while defended by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Knicks Guard Provides Glimpse of Shotmaking Value

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The NBA preseason is too small of a sample size to illustrate accurate estimations of how accurately players will shoot over the course of a long 82-game season, or how a player's envisioned role will play out. This is a period for possibilities, giving coaching staffers up-close views of how all of the pieces look together in lower-stakes environments and potential peeks of what could possibly follow.

Offseason additions will always draw the most eyes, with the preseason serving as their first live-ball appearances in their new uniforms. Fans of the New York Knicks have been glued to free agent signee Jordan Clarkson over the last week for that reason, as they're anxious to see how the team's biggest-name inclusion will add to the upcoming championship hunt.

He's certainly elicited the most reactions through the Knicks' first trio of scrimmages, and they haven't necessarily been all positive. His tendency to occasionally throw up a few audacious shots has been on full display, giving New York a full helping of the Clarkson experience with numerous challenging buckets in their double-overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week.

He may have gone 0/6 from 3-point range as part of a team-wide shooting slump, but he looked to seize full control during the non-Jalen Brunson minutes. He had no problem getting creative on the fly when the offense sputtered out, dribbling into the guts of Minnesota's defense and determining which Timberwolf to directly challenge in real time.

His most impressive bucket arrived at former Utah Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert's expense, with Clarkson driving baseline before re-starting at the high post, spinning, pumping and rising over multiple defenders to finish on a smooth fadeaway jumper that touched nothing but net.

Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert and New York Knicks Guard Jordan Clarkson Russell Isabella-Imagn Images

Those tough jumpers aren't in any way indicative of how the veteran guard will perform later in the fall, or in the playoffs, but he backed up New York's greater vision for his inclusion onto this team. New head coach Mike Brown intends on easing lead scorer Jalen Brunson's role by putting the ball more in his teammates' hands, and Clarkson is the star's best chance at creating and finishing a bucket all on his own.

It may not always be pretty, as everyone saw in his numerous misses on pull-up jumpers, but that's the sort of aggressive presence that the team needs to develop a more complex offense. Other teams can't be loading up on Brunson for every possession if they know that he isn't the only isolation producer, and the Knicks' bench unit looks a lot more dependent with someone else capable of taking that temporary alpha role.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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