The NBA world seems to think highly of Jordan Clarkson after his stint in the FIBA World Cup

The FIBA World Cup has given a sort of rise to Jordan Clarkson.

To the outside observer, Jordan Clarkson had a great FIBA World Cup. So great that if it changed your perception of the man in a positive manner, you wouldn’t be the only one. The Utah Jazz guard really impressed as the leader of the Philippines national team, and truly showed heart and grit in his time with the club.

So much so that he isn’t done competing for them.

Speaking to reporters (via Sports Illustrated) after his squad had been eliminated from the FIBA World Cup, Clarkson was clear that he wasn’t done playing and expected to be back in the near future for the next World Cup event, saying;

"I don’t think this is the last performance in this jersey. I think I have one more time. I can still hoop—hopefully, down the line, when the time comes around again, I’ll be able to put this jersey on and represent the country."

But it wasn’t just the fans or even Clarkson who noticed his skills. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst spoke glowingly (via SI again) about the guards’ talents.

"I think he’s perceived in the NBA for doing exactly what he did in that game, which is the ability to score a lot of points really fast. Jordan has found a niche in the NBA, which is that he will be that guy who is a scorer off the bench, and you can play in the NBA for 15 years and make a lot of money doing it, and he just signed an extension to do more of that for the Utah Jazz who are well represented here in Manilla. I think it’s terrific that he embraces this opportunity."

And that whole scoring points fast thing? Yeah, the Jazz are going to need some of that this season.

That is if they intend on competing for the playoffs. The Utah Jazz could very well trade Clarkson and some other vets away to further dive into the rebuild, but they have a pretty good base already, and they don’t need to further tank. Not with the bevy of draft picks the team currently has.

Clarkson’s stock being at an all-time high, however, could also make trading him now far more appealing. His value is the highest it’s ever been, and if the Jazz see him decline for whatever reason, that will hurt his value in any future trades.

So the Jazz need to make a decision fast; do they cash in on Clarkson’s improved optics, or do they hope that the two-guard can be the type of player the team needs to make the playoffs?