Knicks Shouldn’t Trust New Guard

Jordan Clarkson is an undeniably talented NBA scorer. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-21 for his efforts as one of the league's top heat-check shooters on the once-formidable Utah Jazz, an instant source of offense who's finally ready to return to winning basketball games after jumping to the New York Knicks.

He'll return to a similar role he once held with the No. 1 seeded Jazz, a backup ball handler who's comfortable getting a shot off from anywhere with potential to keep the floor stretched while usual point guard Jalen Brunson sits. But as some are already warning, it would be wise to ensure that Clarkson remains reeled in at his next stop.

Tyler Watts of Daily Knicks has already flagged the issue, seeing Clarkson as an unadaptable bucket-chaser who may prioritize statistics over fit. He points to a few harrowing numbers, including the negative-10.2 net rating the Jazz posted with him on the court as opposed to their negative-8.9 figure when he hit the bench, as well as some specific defensive woes.

"His negative-2.1 defensive box score plus-minus would have been the seventh-worst in the NBA if he played enough games to qualify. The Knicks are leaning toward offense under Mike Brown, but they can’t get stops with Brunson, Clarkson, and Karl-Anthony Towns sharing the floor," he wrote.

It's important to note that Clarkson won't be nearly as high up on the Knicks' depth chart as he was when he was in Utah, with New York having spent their offseason by bringing in tertiary scorers to compliment their talented starting lineup. They'll still use him for his on-ball comfortability, though, which Mike Brown will have to monitor in his first season as the team's head coach.

The best, most realistic version of the Clarkson signing sees the veteran fill in as backup point guard like Cameron Payne did last season, but with much more offensive creativity and length to at least get in the way on defense.

Payne didn't exactly compliment Brunson or Towns as a defender and still ended up earning playoff minutes with his passing and shooting, several factors Clarkson can at least replicate in a lower-leverage role. There's a realistic chance that he works out in New York, but he'll have to buy in in a way he hasn't had to after years putting up shots on the tanking Jazz.