Newly acquired veteran scorer is already becoming unplayable for the Knicks

One-game sample sizes make for dangerous territory, but their perilous nature diminishes when they're not truly one-game sample sizes. While Jordan Clarkson has played just a single game of consequence for the title-hungry New York Knicks, his struggles in that 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers were part of the larger pattern of decline.

Which red flag do you want? The fact he couldn't maintain a palatable shooting percentage? The trademark wild shots making the journey with him from Salt Lake City to Madison Square Garden? The defensive inadequacies that have plagued him throughout his NBA career?

Clarkson has long provided value as a scorer, hence his 12-year career and 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year crown.

But when the shots aren't falling...

Jordan Clarkson's woeful debut with the New York Knicks

Though the Knicks did manage to win Clarkson's minutes in his 2025-26 opener (yet another indication that plus/minus is an incredibly flawed metric), they couldn't have been pleased with his results. He connected on only two of his seven field-goal attempts, misfired from downtown on his two hoists, and recorded as many fouls (two) as he did rebounds and assists combined (also two, because duh).

Even with Malcolm Brogdon retired and Josh Hart unavailable as he recovers from an increasingly confusing back injury, Clarkson could only emerge from his sweats-wearing (note: not "sweat-stained") spot on the bench to play 13:09. That trailed Miles McBride (25:52), Landry Shamet (13:49), and second-year guard Tyler Kolek (13:37), and it's hard not to think he was outplayed by all three.

We certainly know a Deuce-plus-the-starters lineup will remain in the heavy rotation. Figuring out the Kolek mystery box will be important, as well.

A certain level of excitement and anticipation emerges at the beginning of every Clarkson campaign. Maybe he'll start out hot and play himself into both a heavy rotational role and a chance at some year-end accolades. Maybe this is (finally) the season he'll refine his shot selection and not need to rely on a hot hand to provide value.

Game 1 provided no evidence of such developments. And while it's too soon to write him off entirely, he's already becoming unplayable — in practicality, though maybe not given the Knicks' roster construction while Hart recovers — because this is merely a continuation of the established trend.

The continuation of the Jordan Clarkson pattern

Clarkson reached his NBA zenith in 2020-21 when he averaged 18.4 points off the Utah bench en route to those aforementioned Sixth Man of the Year honors. He remained at a peak levels for the next few years, setting a career high with 20.8 points per game as a member of the Jazz's starting lineup in 2022-23 and continuing to excel as a gunner who could make even the most improbable of shots.

But since then, a steady decline has begun.

Though his passing has improved, it's not been enough to mitigate the continued defensive backsliding. Nor has it canceled out the uptick in turnovers or the increased difficulties creating those slivers of space he needs to dial in his off-the-bounce three-pointers and long twos.

Any Knicks fans paying close attention to the preseason might've seen this coming. Difficult as it is to put much stock into exhibition statistics, Clarkson shot just 38.8 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from three-point territory while putting up more turnovers than assists in his five appearances. Those kinds of struggles are hard to dismiss.

Of course, long-tenured NBA fans have seen this pattern before. Clarkson is ice cold right now, but, if afforded the opportunity, he'll shoot his way out of the slump. It'll cost a few games and infuriate fans, but the scorching version, at least in previous go-rounds, is a bona fide bucket-getter.

Thing is, he doesn't look like he's going to get — or deserve — the runway to unslump himself this time around.