Jordan Clarkson’s late-career reboot should have peaked with the New York Knicks defying guaranteeing him a spot in the playoff rotation. As it turns out, though, he’s got more surprises left in him—like somehow, someway, leapfrogging Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and at times, even Mikal Bridges in Mike Brown’s pecking order.
To call this shocking is equal parts accurate, and insufficient. Certain idiots (me) went as far as declaring (me) Clarkson’s spot in the rotation gone forever (me).
His initial re-entry into New York’s plans was eyebrow-raising, a testament to not only his professionalism and the team’s desperation, but his evolution as a defender, offensive rebounder, and someone who puts more pressure on the basket.
Cracking the playoff rotation, at all, was Clarkson’s reward for emerging as a second-unit savior. Yet, ever since the postseason began,he’s scrapped and clawed his way even further up the team’s trust ladder.
Jordan Clarkson has surpassed players the Knicks were supposed to need more
Through four games against the Atlanta Hawks, Clarkson is seventh on the Knicks in minutes, edging Robinson, Shamet, and Jose Alvarado. At this point, the 23-year-old has racked up about as much total tick as Alvarado, Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara combined.
Most shocking of all, Clarkson has logged about as many minutes over the last two games (38) as Bridges (40). He has actually eked past Bridges’ total in the second half of both Game 3 and Game 4.
Caveats abound. Sort of.
Rivaling Bridges’ importance says more about the embattled $150 million, five-first-round-pick wing than Clarkson himself. That’s also sort of the point. The Knicks need places to turn when Bridges isn’t providing an offensive spark—or any semblance of a pulse. Clarkson is smaller, but no one has ever claimed he lacks pep on the more glamorous end.
Robinson and Clarkson play very different positions, and Mike Brown has largely underutilized the former since the playoffs began. Still, the Knicks are deeper at the guard spots than they are up front. They have needed to downsize for short spurts without a center if neither Robinson nor Karl-Anthony Towns are on the floor. Clarkson playing more than Robinson when there are extra alternatives around him is notable, even if uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, although Alvarado and Diawara didn’t profile as prominent postseason cogs, Shamet is supposed to be the Knicks’ diamond in the rough. Let’s also not pretend like people weren’t hyping up Alvarado over Clarkson after the trade deadline. And we definitely can’t forget that Diawara plays a position of greater need, and was viewed as a mainstay until a few weeks ago.
Clarkson has surpassed all of them—not just deservedly so, but potentially sustainably so.
The Knicks’ dependence on Clarkson may continue
Other matchups will require heavier lifts from Robinson, even if in the form of more dual-big lineups. You can make the case that Atlanta should be one of these matchups.
Everyone else, however, is flying by the seat of their pants, assured of very little, if nothing at all.
Outside of the starters, it appears only Deuce is guaranteed to remain ahead of Clarkson. That tracks when you consider how much the Knicks have struggled to generate consistent primary and secondary offense.
Unsettling? Incredible? Terrifying? All of the above? Regardless of how you feel about it, the very notion of Clarkson’s still-rising importance is darming—a twist nobody saw coming, and one that, for now, is as necessary as it is unexpected
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