Mike Brown has already confirmed that Jordan Clarkson will be part of the New York Knicks’ playoff rotation, a well-earned nod for how he’s delivered over the past month or so. How big that role is remains to be seen, is likely matchup dependent, and is maybe even a little vibes-based. Whatever its size, Clarkson has the potential to make it even larger by providing a reliable off-ball outlet for a Knicks team suddenly in need of one.
New York’s offense has veered more into touch-and-go since the All-Star break. A lot of it comes down to streaky shooting from the outside. Since the break, the team is a meandering 15th in efficiency from beyond the arc, including 19th on corner looks, when filtering out garbage time.
Nudging those numbers up isn’t going to be any less important. If anything, it has become more critical.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are working in tandem more than ever. The dynamic has even shown recent promise when teams put smaller players on KAT. Heightened interplay between these two will lead to even more aggressive defensive looks—pressure that leaves the Knicks beholden to its supporting cast making things happen when the ball is forced away from Brunson and Towns.
Enter Jordan Clarkson.
There is another Jordan Clarkson development flying under the radar
Plenty of digital ink is being spilled on the evolution of Clarkson. His defense, offensive rebounding, quicker on-ball decisions, and elevated comfort away from the action are all receiving some level of shine.
Clarkson’s increased volume from the corners is not among the hottest talking points. It should be.
At its peak, the Knicks’ offense is hard-wired to generate those looks more than the average team with swings and sprays. Clarkson’s shot profile has shifted accordingly. Sixteen percent of his triples have come from the corners—a career high.
His efficiency on these looks isn’t great; he’s hitting just 31 percent of his corner triples for the season. But he’s afforded a certain margin for error because, unlike others, he also has the capacity to undertake from-scratch work when he’s on the ball.
If he’s assured 15 to 20 minutes as things stand, imagine what could happen if he downs corner treys at a higher rate—especially given what’s happening elsewhere on the roster.
The door is open for Jordan Clarkson to grab more minutes
Clarkson’s value to the Knicks will keep climbing if other players continue to struggle on the shots New York will, in theory, be generating during JB-KAT stretches.
Mikal Bridges (sub-34 percent), Landry Shamet (sub-32 percent), Jose Alvarado (sub-28 percent), and Deuce McBride (sub-12 percent) all saw substantial dips in efficiency from the corners post-All-Star break. Of this group, McBride and Bridges are the only ones whose roles can be considered non-negotiable. (And to Deuce’s credit, he barely played during this stretch.) Alvarado may already be out of the rotation.
Brown could default to sizing up with Mitchell Robinson if these problems persist. But the big man’s minutes will likely still be monitored, and New York has shown little qualms about playing three non-wings on the perimeter.
Absent Brown turning to rookie Mohamed Diawara, the groundwork is laid for Clarkson to become an even bigger part of what the Knicks are doing—provided he’s up to the task. If the past few weeks are any indication, he will be.
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