MIAMI — Winning has done wonders for Jordan Clarkson’s efficiency and defense.
Coming off consecutive seasons of decline in those areas, there were questions about Clarkson’s trajectory as he joined the Knicks: Was he struggling because of his age (33), or was it the tanking environment in Utah?
Through his first 12 games with the Knicks, Clarkson has demonstrated that all he needed was a little more motivation.
“It’s a level of focus. I’m glad to be back in this and part of this and back contending, be in the playoffs and know that we’re playing for something,” Clarkson said. “That changes a player’s mindset. It’s just a bunch of focus that goes into it and I’m locked in.”
In his final three seasons with the Jazz, the franchise was terrible and mostly tanking — the product of unloading the best two players, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, for rebuilding pieces.
Clarkson missed 93 of his last 246 games with the Jazz, and his shooting percentage dipped to under 30 percent on 3-pointers and just 41 percent overall during the 2023-24 campaign.
Jordan Clarkson reacts during the Knicks’ Nov. 14 win against the Heat. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
As one NBA assistant called Clarkson’s defense in Utah: “Disgusting.”
But it’d be hard to blame Clarkson for apathetic play.
Especially last season — when the Jazz were hell-bent on tanking to keep their first-round draft pick — the culture pushed apathy on its veterans.
Clarkson’s value dipped so low that the Jazz were forced to buy out his contract, rather than recoup assets in a trade.
Now he’s with the Knicks — a team with legitimate aspirations of advancing to the NBA Finals — and Clarkson entered Monday’s game against the Heat shooting 39 percent on 3-pointers and 47 percent overall.
If sustained, they’d both be career highs — which is more impressive since Clarkson was shooting just 32 percent in his first five games with the Knicks.
His scoring was down (from 16.2 points per game last season to 10.3 with the Knicks), but his shots were way down (from 13.3 to 7.7).
His turnovers, which hit three per game in 2022-23, were under one per game heading into Monday.
Clarkson said the dramatic efficiency increase is about the quality of shots that come with being surrounded by talent in a selfless system.
With the Jazz, Clarkson frequently had to create shots for himself off the dribble and late in the shot clock.
With the Knicks, he’s scoring more off catch-and-shoot attempts and less on pull-up jumpers.
“I just think it’s our system. I think we generate a lot of good shots. They’re not good — they’re great shots,” Clarkson said. “I don’t really have to force as much and I’m not in that position to do that on this squad. I don’t get as many grenades [thrown a pass while defended with the shot clock dwindling], whereas I used to take four or five of those with under five on the clock. But when those opportunities come I’ll try to make the best of those as well. We just have a good system and I’m trying to take advantage every time I’ve got it.”
The defense is more about effort, which is easier to adopt when the team is playing for something.
Clarkson entered Monday with a respectable, but hardly elite, defensive rating of 115.1.
Jordan Clarkson looks to drive with the ball during the Knicks’ Nov. 14 game against the Heat. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
It would be his best rating since 2022-23.
“It’s just a different level of focus,” said Clarkson, who also played with LeBron James in Cleveland. “I’ve been to the playoffs, been to the Finals, just getting back to that, it’s relieving — gives you a reason to come out here and focus and put on that jersey and represent.”
Mikal Bridges agreed, noting how coaches have more leeway when the team is successful.
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Last season, Bridges similarly joined the Knicks after leaving a tanking situation — in his case, with the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think it’s just demanding from the coaches, too. You can be more demanding on a winning team than a losing team,” Bridges said. “And be focused on what you’re trying to get towards. Usually on winning teams, you’re dialed in even more, just knowing you’re trying to go as far as you can.”
Even with the higher level of focus, Clarkson understands there’s a learning curve for himself and everybody else.
He’s played well through mid-November but hopes to peak in April.
“That’s when you want that thing flowing, getting ready for the playoffs, knowing what you’re doing,” Clarkson said. “In the playoffs you have to make adjustments, but I think we’re starting to get a good feel of our offense and our defensive concepts. I know [coach Mike Brown] has a bunch of stuff that he still wants to throw in. We’re just getting to the foundation of what we’re doing. There’s definitely a lot more basketball to play.”
