Utah Jazz stud: Jordan Clarkson
Watching Jordan Clarkson this season has been like riding a roller coaster that feels like it’s spent an inordinate amount of time on a steep upward climb. Last night, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year gave Utah Jazz fans reason to believe that a drop is coming, and that it’s going to be worth it.
He finished with 16 points on 6/12 shooting, including a 4/9 clip from three-point range. This marked Clarkson’s second good game of the year in 11 efforts.
Truthfully, Clarkson’s tendency towards inefficiency has been a concern here at the J-Notes since before the season even began. On the other hand, volume shooters of Clarkson’s ilk are often inefficient. If the highly talented scoring guard can trend in the right direction at the right time (in other words, during the playoffs) these Jazz are well-built to weather his storms of poor shooting in the interim.
From the moment Clarkson knocked down his first basket, a contested pull-up three-pointer on a fastbreak, it felt like he might be in for a good night. He got his 16 points in the same manner that he tends to: a series of unassisted threes and inside floaters coming off of his signature dribble moves.
It’s worth noting that both of Clarkson’s quality performances this season have come against the Atlanta Hawks. He may have their number, but more likely, it’s a coincidence. The first performance was a 30 point masterclass in isolation scoring. Last night’s 16 points on highly efficient shooting represented something closer to what the Jazz need from Clarkson on a more consistent basis.
Volume scorers miss shots. That’s a truism that’s applied to all-time greats like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, as well as microwave scorers like Lou Williams and, well, Jordan Clarkson. Hopefully, last night’s game was indicative that Clarkson is about to rediscover the other side of that coin: volume scorers make shots, too.