It hasn’t been the smoothest transition from Los Angeles to Cleveland for Jordan Clarkson. But things appear to be looking up for the fifth-year guard.
Acquired in the mid-season overhaul the Cavaliers performed last February, the intrigue surrounding Clarkson is his obvious knack for scoring. While his career-high average in points stands at 15.5 from his 2015-16 campaign with the Lakers, the offensive prowess is clearly there. Unfortunately for Cleveland, it’s just taken a little longer to uncover it.
Clarkson struggled mightily near the end of last season and essentially disappeared in the playoffs, shooting ill-advised shots whenever he did touch the floor. It seemed as if he was lost in the spotlight that was the postseason, and maybe that could be the case. For a guy who predicates his success on his ability to make baskets at an efficient rate, 4.7 points per game in nineteen games was an absolute disappointment for the Cavs and Clarkson. Clarkson finished the 2018 NBA Finals sitting on the bench for the entirety of Games 3 and 4.
But with the Cavaliers gearing up for a rebuild, this could be the perfect time for the team to invest in Clarkson. Why? Because he’s arguably the best prospect they have.
Out of all of the youth on the squad, he may have the best offensive game. While Rodney Hood and Cedi Osman do a better job of protecting the rock, neither one is as dangerous as Clarkson. It feels a lot different when Clarkson is on compared to the two, as he tends to strike more fear into a defense.
In a way, Clarkson gives this author flashbacks to JR Smith’s first few seasons with the Cavaliers, a green-light shooter who isn’t afraid to see the ball fly at a high rate. He’s developing from long-range and has worked on his inside game, looking way more comfortable getting to the rack this season. As a result, he’s shooting 50% from the field.
Of course, the defensive side of things continues to be a work in progress for Clarkson. He still displays a lack of awareness at times and has trouble switching correctly, leaving the opposition with a clean look. Other times, he’s caught standing around watching the play unfold. It’s something that has always haunted him and it’ll limit his growth as a player if he can’t fix it.
Clarkson has gotten off to a hot start this year and it’s been super encouraging. As mentioned above, he’s hitting half of his shots attempted thus far. Along with that, he’s averaging sixteen points per contest. While it’s still early on in the season, Clarkson is starting to put his stamp on the sixth-man role and could make a case for being one of the better bench players right now. Scoring is at an all-time mark in the NBA and that makes him very valuable.
There might not be a ton of positives to take away from the Cavaliers right now. However, watching Clarkson’s growth through nine games is definitely a good sight to see.