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Knicks Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Pursuing Jordan Clarkson

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Kings won 112-93. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Kings won 112-93. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones (31) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones (31) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Con: Isolation Offense

The beauty of Jeff Hornacek’s offense is that all five players are trusted to create for one another. The guards must be able to create penetration, however, and there are no exceptions to that need.

Clarkson is a good ball-handler who can blow by the average NBA defender, but he isn’t nearly as effective in isolation as he needs to be.

For as crafty and explosive as Clarkson is, he was surprisingly poor in isolation this past season. Per NBA.com, he shot just 27.8 percent—32-of-115—on plays run out of isolation sets during the 2015-16 season.

The Lakers were admittedly poor at creating driving lanes, but that’s a very concerning number.

The upside here is that Clarkson has the raw tools to be an effective slasher with the New York Knicks. He possesses a quick first step and explosive leaping ability, and coach Hornacek’s offense excels at creating opportunities for athletic slashers to attack closeouts.

This is a very clear con, but Hornacek and the Knicks are the perfect team to fix this flaw.

Next: Pro

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