The Knicks addressed a major need by inking Jordan Clarkson to a veteran minimum contract. The move brought in quality guard depth at a very reasonable price, considering Clarkson had just been bought out of his last contract by the Jazz. It also, perhaps more quietly, brought unassisted shot creation, something the Knicks lack on their roster outside of Jalen Brunson.
I am not going to act like Clarkson is the second coming of Brunson. He isn't close to that and fans shouldn't expect him to be. The best days of his career are behind him, and he has several noticeable flaws in his game. All of that said, he is not just a proven shot maker; he is one of the best bench scorers in modern NBA history.
Clarkson loves to shoot the ball, and I mean loves. In fact, I am not sure if he has ever seen a shot he didn't love. Over the last five seasons, he has averaged 17.6 heavily contested field goal attempts per 100 possessions, according to league tracking data. That is the 18th-highest in the league over that span.
Clarkson can create his own shot
Clarkson's efficiency numbers definitely don't jump off the page. For his career, he has shot just 43.6 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from three, although that number was up to 36.2 percent last season. What will be valuable to the Knicks is Clarkson's ability to get his own shot.
Over the last five seasons, Clarkson has taken 848 self-created 3-point attempts, that is to say, a 3-point attempt that didn't come from an assist opportunity. According to league tracking data, that is the 23rd-most attempts in the league over that period.
Again, Clarkson's efficiency doesn't jump off the page. He has shot only 33 percent on those shots over that period. To be fair, though, that is similar efficiency to players like Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and LeBron James over the same period. It is a difficult shot, but a valuable one. The threat of pull-up shooting opens up the game in ways that few other shots can for an offense.
The shot creation will be welcomed by the Knicks
Last season, Brunson averaged 3.75 self-created 3-point attempts per game, easily the most on the Knicks. He knocked down 37.3 percent of those shots, one of the best marks in the league for players taking that many.
After Brunson, the Knicks didn't have much in that department. Cam Payne was efficient, but only took 95 for the entire season. Clarkson, in limited time last season, shot 35.6 percent on self-created threes.