It’s time to appreciate the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jordan Clarkson

When it comes to tanking teams, most basketball fans tend to disregard any good play coming from the basement-dwellers. That’s been the case with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson, who has been having arguably his best season as a professional.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a league-worst 8-34 on the 2018-19 campaign and there isn’t much to be excited for when watching the team play. But it’s unfortunate that Jordan Clarkson‘s breakout season has been swept under the rug due to the team’s overall struggles.

Clarkson, who is now in his fifth NBA season, has seemingly heard it all about what he can’t do on the floor. Perceived to be just a shooter who isn’t always precise, it just isn’t a fair opinion to classify him as a one-trick pony anymore. After an offseason where his game was reportedly dissected to the fullest, the University of Missouri product has answered the call and is beginning to silence his naysayers.

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It seemed like the electric guard had become stagnant in his game and it reflected heavily in his year-by-year season averages. In fact, one could argue that Clarkson’s best campaign came in his rookie season, that being the 2014-15 season.

Clarkson posted 11.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in just 59 games that year. His numbers were impressive and started to set the narrative that he could be the next great Laker after Kobe Bryant retired, as the Committed Generation‘s Valerie Morales once highlighted. But he also started 38 of those contests (per Basketball Reference), giving him a chance to shine more often than not.

That’s just one reason why this season has been such a success for Clarkson. Besides the obvious point that he’s finding a new gear, he hasn’t started a single game, embracing his sixth-man role with pride. It’s led to his highest-scoring year to date with 17.9 points, a team-leading mark among qualified Cleveland Cavaliers, according to NBA.com.

Another reason Clarkson’s season has been a positive for the Cavs this season is his willingness to step up as a leader. Last season, the franchise obviously had LeBron James to corral everyone in when things got rough. With that not being the case this season, guys who had fewer responsibilities in the past have stepped up as leaders.

Clarkson’s been one of those guys who has stepped up.

At times recently, Clarkson’s been asked to play backup point guard due to the absence of Matthew Dellavedova. He’s done well in that role, commanding the floor and keeping his teammates engaged and informed on the court. Those are things Clarkson may not have been able to do a year ago if asked.

His maturation and understanding of the game have been fun to watch.

However, Clarkson is still growing on the defensive end. The attention to detail he has with his on-the-ball defense has been a sign of improvement, as he isn’t a complete liability when tasked with guarding talented scorers.

Nonetheless, he’ll have to continue to improve away from the basketball as he gets lost with switches occurring at times. It’s factored into the Cavaliers’ NBA-worst defense, per NBA.com.

All in all, you can try to joke about Clarkson being one-dimensional but the joke won’t be Clarkson. The 26-year old has made strides in his game that can’t be ignored anymore, whether you want to recognize his progress or not.