With Deuce McBride nearing a return, Jordan Clarkson’s re-entry into the New York Knicks rotation may end up being a temporary development. But his ascent, however fleeting, is shedding some light on where Mohamed Diawara will stand in the team’s pecking order.
Spoiler alert: The rookie may not be in Mike Brown’s playoff rotation.
Jordan Clarkson is revealing Mike Brown’s top priority
Clarkson and Diawara play fundamentally different positions and roles. Neither’s usage should technically inform anything about the other. That’s also sort of the point.
Despite shooting the three-ball well for most of this year, while providing glimpses into a north-south floor game, Diawara is treasured most for his defensive malleability. Standing 6’9”, he has the size, length, and mobility to tackle a wide range of (mostly) perimeter assignments, ranging from point forwards and power wings to some smaller guards.
Clarkson, on the other hand, is a shot of offensive adrenaline. He isn’t fazed by missed looks or botched possessions, playing instead like someone who’s always working on a heater. Though statistically elite, the Knicks offense has needed his paramnesia while navigating not only McBride’s absence, but bouts of shaky shooting and ball control.
It just so happens their increased reliance on him is starting to coincide with a lighter workload for Diawara. He has totaled just 17 minutes across the last two games, the latter of which was a six-minute performance in a win over the Indiana Pacers that featured so much garbage time Pacome Dadiet, Jeremy Sochan, and Kevin McCullar Jr. all received on-court reps.
Backsliding efficiency may be the root cause. Diawara is shooting under 39 percent on twos and below 24 percent on threes over the past seven games. Even if tacitly, Brown’s deployment of Clarkson and recent pull-back on the rookie signals a heightened emphasis on the state of the offense—a harbinger that comes just as New York is gearing up for the playoffs.
The Knicks’ reliance on Clarkson could be a sign of things to come for Diawara
Starters are already beginning to get some rest in advance of the postseason. Among other things, this suggests Brown will look to button up his rotation once the playoffs begin.
This isn’t to say Clarkson is guaranteed a spot over Diawara in the postseason crucible. But Brown showing a willingness to run smaller or prioritize offensive punch does mean the rookie can’t bank on a lack of reserve wings guaranteeing him a spot in the rotation.
That sentiment strengthens knowing McBride remains on track to rejoin the squad before the playoffs. Assuming this timeline sticks, the Knicks seem destined to run a nine-man rotation featuring him, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Jose Alvarado.
Brown is nothing if not flexible. He continues to futz and fiddle with the core rotation even in March. Diawara’s place in the hierarchy is not necessarily etched in stone.
At the same time, if Brown needs to move away from Hart, Alvarado, Bridges or someone else, he now seems more inclined to roll with Clarkson’s offensive chops over the standout rookie. Whether this changes or is flat-out incorrect, well, we’ll find out soon enough.