End of Season Evaluation: Jazz SG Jordan Clarkson
The Utah Jazz have a decision to make with their most experienced player.
We’re a few weeks removed from Utah Jazz basketball, and it feels like a decent time to review each Jazzman’s season. While no one considers a 51-loss season to be a great success, numerous individuals had good individual seasons, provided glimpses of a promising future, or did both. Without further ado, we’ll start with Jordan Clarkson, the Utah Jazz’s longest-tenured player.
End of Season Evaluation: Jazz SG Jordan Clarkson
The Utah Jazz have a decision to make with their most experienced player.
Clarkson had an up-and-down season after signing a three-year, $55 million contract with the Jazz. Clarkson was asked to do more than we’d ever seen from him, averaging 17 points and (a career-high) 5 assists per game, thanks to the inexperienced cast around him. His passing stood out this year, particularly in areas where the Jazz performed well. Clarkson once again offered an offensive spark to the Jazz, who lacked individual and collective creation.
Will Hardy experimented with rotations this year after being a full-time starter the previous year, resulting in Clarkson returning to his most fitting role as a sixth man. Clarkson was more efficient off the bench (42% from the floor) than he was as a starter (39.9%), and while his net rating remained negative (-2.5), it was 8.6 points higher in this capacity.
Since I touched on his efficiency, it was a forgettable year for Clarkson in that department. His true shooting percentage of 52.1% was among the worst in the entire league. Of players who also had a usage percentage over 25, Clarkson trailed only rookie Scoot Henderson in that department. While he’s never been a particularly efficient player, this level of inefficiency is concerning for someone who’s been in the league as long as Clarkson and has the reputation of being a good shooter.
To be fair to Clarkson, the Jazz likely asked too much out of him this year. They came into the year without a true facilitator on the roster. This eventually pushed Keyonte George into that role, but as a rookie learning the position, it put a lot of added responsibility on Clarkson’s plate.
We can’t speak about Jordan Clarkson’s season without mentioning the curse he broke this season. On New Year’s Day, Clarkson became the first and only Jazz player to get a triple-double since Carlos Boozer in 2008. This was definitely one of the most exciting and memorable events of the year, and it’s only right that Clarkson, a fan favourite, could pull it off.
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