Jordan Clarkson was heavily scrutinized in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Can he bounce from a horrific 2017-2018 campaign?
Jordan Clarkson was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline. He was part of a string of three consecutive trades that were supposed to save the Cavs season.
He was an above-average player with the Los Angeles Lakers, but in Cleveland, he struggled mightily, especially in the postseason.
There could be several factors as to why he struggled.
One may be the fact that he didn’t spend an entire season with the Cavaliers, and so he wasn’t able to build the chemistry with his teammates.
He showed flashes of promise, and he had his moments of brilliance. JC’s biggest problem was his shot selection. He lacked the maturity to take smart shots within the flow of the game, and it showed on the brighest platform, the NBA Finals.
This year, as we start a new era in Cleveland, we could see the emergence of several playmakers for the Cavs and Clarkson could be one of them.
As a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Clarkson has great quickness both laterally and vertically. This can allow him to get the hoop with ease, but at the same time, he has developed a respectable jump shot off the dribble and can spread the floor with his ability to shoot the three.
Clarkson has the handles to run the point but also can be used as an off guard. With the addition of Sexton, the Cavs will be loaded at point guard with George Hill coming back as the projected starting point guard.
Last season, Clarkson averaged 12.6 ppg on 45.6% from the field. Additionally, he chipped in 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
What’s remarkable is that Clarkson has averaged double figures every year that he has been in the league. Last year the Cavs only two players to average double-figures were Kevin Love and Lebron James, and with Lebron’s production departure with his talent to LA, there will be a definite need for players to step up.
Clarkson is still young. At 26, he may be able to provide the youth and development that the Cavs need to succeed in the future.
Clarkson’s ability to feed off of and run with Sexton could provide a nightly dazzling display for fans to keep them interested and their team relevant in the wake of James’ departure.
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Both the Cavs and Clarkson need this relationship to mend itself. Not only mend but flourish.