Jordan Clarkson
Utah Jazz

Player Facts

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 194lbs.

Wingspan: 6'8"

Date of Birth: June 7, 1992
College Experience: Tulsa (2 years), Missouri (1 year)

Selections

All Star: 0
All-NBA: 0
All-Defensive: 0

Player Grades

Speed/Explosiveness: 9
Physical Strength: 6
Positional Size: 8
Positional Wingspan: 8
Paint Scoring: 7
Midrange Scoring: 5
Three-Point Scoring: 6
Dribbling: 7
Passing: 7
Perimeter Defense: 4
Interior Defense: 2
Rebounding: 4

Embed from Getty Images

JUMP TO SECTION

> Intro

> Offensive Spark

> Body Control

> Playing Off-Ball

> Self-Created Scoring

> Dash of Post-Ups

> Pushing Pace + Ball Control

> Iffy Defense

> Offensive Inefficiencies

> Beacon Bacon

>Link to Player Contract & Salary Info

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*All statistical data courtesy of NBA Advanced Stats

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STRENGTHS

Intro

The 6'4" hybrid guard is a textbook score-first perimeter player. Jordan Clarkson is a dynamic slasher and a solid enough jump shooter, adding some passing chops recently. One of his most flattering roles is as a source of energetic instant offense off the pine.

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Offensive Spark

Clarkson is a tough shot-maker period. He will spin into you, fully unafraid of contact with his man or the helper. His iso prowess is what unlocks his effectiveness in a sixth-man role. He's particularly deadly when a big's switched out to him on the perimeter, often proceeding to sweep by easily.

Jordan finished up 2022-2023 in the 75th percentile for his isolation work in a Utah uniform. His 1.05 points per play beat out some reputable scoring names like Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, and Kawhi Leonard. His drive-heavy iso style led to more takes/game than CJ McCollum, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball that year.

Jordan has bettered his skillset as a passer into his 30's. He worked his way up to 4.4 dimes per night in 2022-2023. That season represented the marriage of solid team talent, an egalitarian offensive system, on-ball opportunity, and Clarkson's own growth.

Body Control

The Missouri product concludes his dribble drives with an array of acrobatic finishes. He's nimble in the air and just has great body control. Jordan knows how to use his frame to protect the rock on layups.

Double-clutch, off-foot, and other challenging inside finishes are in his scope of ability. His point of emphasis is to get into the body of the big after he initially beat his own man. Clarkson tends to shoot from the low-mid 60% range at the rim with his length and wiry strength.

Playing Off-Ball

Jordan's jumper is most accurate as a spot-up guy. He's improved in that regard after a few years in the league as a shaky shooter. The 2020-2021 Sixth Man of the Year amassed 248 spot-up points during that season.

He adds to his worth by being comfortable taking deep threes, and pulling the defense out just a little bit more. He shot 40.2% on catch-and-shoot threes while playing on two teams in 2019-2020. His efforts were aided by having strong playmakers beside him like Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Joe Ingles. As more of an on-ball guy with less surrounding talent the next two seasons, his distance shooting splits dropped though.

The 6'4" guard can also shoot off movement. He narrowly goes around his big man while weaving off-the-ball. His off-ball screen utilization is quite impressive. Clarkson's fast, and his shot release is fast too.

Self-Created Scoring

Clarkson likes using dribble handoffs to get going downhill. Something he'll do is catch and plant hard, juking then attacking the other way. Jordan's speed and shiftiness allow him to do things like this so proficiently.

Jordan continues to use his bigs in pick-and-rolls. With his eyes on the basket, Clarkson can get into the midrange and spring up for a jumper. Closer to the hoop his float game is good, sometimes great (51%+ from 3-10 feet across 2021-2022 and 2022-2023).

In 2022-2023 Jordan finished as an above-average scorer as the pick-and-roll ball-handler. He shot a solid 45.1% in these actions. The volume was there as well, operating in ample two-man actions with Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.

Dash of Post-Ups

Jordan differentiates himself by having the ability to post smaller guards. Once a skill that many guards held, it is a dying art form in the modern NBA. These tend to end in a turn-around J or bouncy push shots with his teammates actually looking for him down low sometimes.

Pushing Pace + Ball Control

He pushes the pace when the situation calls for it. Putting this additional pressure on the defense can lead to some early breakdowns. He can capably pull up, pass, and slash in these scenarios.

Jordan rounds himself out by doing some less-glamorous things well. He controls the basketball and seldom concedes painful live-ball turnovers. Moreover, he is and basically has always been an 80%+ guy at the charity stripe.

WEAKNESSES

Iffy Defense

Most opponents will look to go at Jordan on defense despite his motor being solid oftentimes. The oft-hunted guard's decision-making and footwork on defense are substandard. A slighter build pigeonholes him into checking nearly exclusively guards even when engaged.

The point of attack, isolation and interior defensive metrics (a grand total of zero charges taken in 2022-2023 in just shy of 2000 minutes played) are all rough with Clarkson.

He was in the 9th percentile defending isos as a member of the Jazz back in 2019-2020, and has not improved by much. His dribble handoff numbers during that stint were not as bad, though boosted by strong team defense and an all-time rim protector in Rudy Gobert.

He's actually pretty disappointing as far as off-ball defense goes. Jordan houses that classic quick big guard build that the game's best passing lane disruptors have. Alas, he's a low steals guy and a rare deflections artist.

The perimeter-oriented Clarkson is a mediocre defensive rebounder at best. It's unfortunate given he's a taller guard with a 6'8" wingspan. Not all that much is expected from him in this regard but some more boxing out wouldn't hurt.

Offensive Inefficiencies

Clarkson has improved from being strictly a point-getter. Following a similar path to Lou Williams, he has been able to extend his prime by tacking on on-ball playmaking chops. Now, he is a genuine dual threat in ball screen actions who can toggle scoring/passing.

With this being said, his conversion rates as a scorer still need some improvement. He tends to be below-average relative to the league from both two-point and three-point range. This has more to do with selectivity and his unabashed nature rather than lack of skill.

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bacon
Beacon Bacon

Upon being drafted in 2014, Jordan became only the second player of Filipino descent to enter the NBA