Jordan Clarkson’s name and not his impact on the team seems to be why he’s in the Top 25.
We like Jordan Clarkson here. He’s a very good guard and a tremendous scorer. He’s someone the team needs to step up alongside Lauri Markkanen, in order for the Utah Jazz to contend for the playoffs (or Play-In Tournament). He’s someone that has no real complaints about him, regardless of where he plays.
But we’d also be quick to say he’s by no means a top player in franchise history. Not yet, anyway. See KSL is doing their Top 50 Utah Jazz players of all time. We talked about Joe Ingles already, who came in at No. 25, and now Clarkson is coming in at No. 24.
We thought the countdown would be a combination of franchise impact, longevity, and production, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Clarkson hitting No. 24. Now, Clarkson could very well earn that spot, if not be much higher, but we have to question his spot now. He’s a man who’s played just three full seasons with the Jazz, won zero titles, and was the 2nd best player on a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last year.
How does that, and a lone Sixth Man of the Year Award justify being ahead of someone like Ingles? Sure, Clarkson has his sixth-man award, and he’s No. 5 in three-pointers made, but is that really enough?
Ingles played eight seasons in Utah, and is a spot below him; despite making a huge impact on title-hopeful teams. If Clarkson can’t help get the Jazz to the second round his year, how can you even compare the two?
Clarkson is a good player and in three or four years, assuming he sticks around, sure, a Top 25 spot is obvious, but after three-and-a-half seasons, we think its a reach to give a bench player like Clarkson such a high spot.