New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson is in the perfect position to make a splash during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The pressure he faces to perform on a nightly basis is as low as it's ever been, as he ranks No. 9 on the Knicks in minutes per game.
Though Clarkson is unavoidably polarizing as a streaky scorer shooting 33.7 percent from beyond the arc, his ability get hot and look like a star on an occasional basis is exactly what makes him perfect for the Knicks in a postseason setting.
Whenever the NBA Playoffs roll around, unsung heroes emerge from the depths of a contender's rotation. More often than not, said player has the uncanny ability to catch fire and take over a quarter of a close game that the stars are struggling to win.
It's a phenomenon as old as the NBA itself, as players go off for brief stretches, swing momentum back in their team's favor, and then return to regularly scheduled programming.
For as talented as the Knicks are at the top of the rotation, the time will ultimately come when they need such a player to make their mark. If said player is able to step up, then New York's dream of making the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years could come true.
Though there are multiple players on the roster who are capable of stepping up in this very manner, it's Clarkson whose skill set makes him the ultimate secret weapon.
Knicks' Jordan Clarkson is the perfect amount of streaky to make an unexpected splash in the Playoffs
When Clarkson gets hot, the only player who can truly slow him down is himself. For as crazy as that statement may seem, it's a truth that helped him win the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-21 and remain regularly employed in the NBA for 12 seasons—a feat unto itself.
Clarkson proved as much just over a week ago when he dropped 27 points in 26 minutes during a 134-117 win over the Utah Jazz.
It was Clarkson's fourth 20-point game of the season—as well as the third time he's eclipsed 20 while playing fewer than 30 minutes. Though that's a smaller number than the 12 20-point games he managed in 2024-25 and the 22 he tallied in 2023-24, his role has also changed.
The Knicks already have a high-volume scoring guard in Jalen Brunson, and Clarkson's defensive inconsistency has inevitably prevented the Knicks from playing him consistently alongside the 6'2" star.
Jordan Clarkson has a history of stepping up in the playoffs
Clarkson is still the proverbial microwave, however, in that he can get hot without a moment's notice and change the complexion of a game. His opportunities to do so may be less frequent and his numbers may be down, but volume isn't quite the issue it seems for him.
Clarkson is averaging 18.0 points and 15.3 field goal attempts per 36 minutes—evidence of how assertive he remains when his number is called.
Furthermore, Clarkson has already proven that he can step up when the postseason lights are shining bright. During his three postseason appearances with the Jazz between 2020 and 2022, Clarkson averaged 17.3 points per game on .454/.353/.944 shooting.
Clarkson may not be the same player he was back then, but the Knicks don't need him to be. They just need him to tap into what's left in the tank and deliver when the opponent least expects it.