Everyone understood Jordan Clarkson’s role with the New York Knicks would diminish once they brought in Jose Alvarado. But if the team’s first game back from the All-Star break is any indication, he’s now entirely out of the rotation, with no clear path to coming back.
Clarkson registered a “DNP - Coach’s Decision” during New York’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. He has received a couple before, but this is his first after the trade deadline. Though one game doesn’t amount to a new normal, this instance is particularly telltale.
Detroit’s size admittedly isn’t the best matchup for Clarkson—or, frankly, this team in general. But this DNP goes beyond the Pistons’ being huge, and can’t be entirely chalked up to the arrival of Alvarado.
Jordan Clarkson’s DNP is especially revealing
New York remains without Deuce McBride while he recovers from a core muscle injury, and was drawing dead at the offensive end in Thursday’s loss. Even under those circumstances, Clarkson still couldn’t see the light of day, suggesting he’s further down the pecking order than we realized.
Head coach Mike Brown was more inclined to bestow minutes upon rookie Mohamed Diawara, and then Jeremy Sochan. That makes sense, given the reserve-wing situation (and again, the Pistons’ size).
Still, Clarkson is supposed to be in the Big Apple to provide instant offense. If he can’t carve out playing time during a game in which the Knicks don’t have McBride, got truly regrettable performances from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and shot 22.9 percent on threes, when is that going to change?
It will only get harder for Jordan Clarkson from here
Re-entering the fold should be borderline impossible once McBride is healthy. If for some reason he’s not ready to rock in time for the postseason, well, Clarkson will remain out of luck.
Not only do playoff rotations tighten relative to the regular season, but the Knicks are guard-heavy enough when they’re shorthanded. Landry Shamet has become perhaps the single biggest bargain in the league, but he’s more of a 2-guard than a wing. Pepper in 15 to 20 minutes for each of him and Alvarado, and it gets tough to squeeze in Clarkson even before McBride comes back.
Failing a series of injuries elsewhere, the 33-year-old essentially needs Diawara and Sochan to lose the trust of Mike Brown, and for the Knicks to embrace playing ultra-small. The earliest indications are that this is unlikely.
In the event this changes, Clarkson still isn’t assured of a spot in the rotation. Tyler Kolek will be the move if they decide they need more playmaking or someone who won’t blow up the defense. More than anything, Clarkson hasn’t played well enough to guarantee anything. He is in the 27th percentile of points per shot attempt, and the Knicks have been 9.5 points per 100 possessions better without him on the floor.
Sure, there could come a time when New York is hard-up for shot-creation, and calls upon Clarkson. Clearly, though, that’s not its preferred plan. Nor, it seems, is Clarkson playing at all.