Jordan Clarkson[/size=7]
Clarkson was an impressive rookie this past season--he was a fairly high usage combo guard whose best long term position appears to be shooting guard, as that position allows him to indulge in his ability to create shots (he was in the top quarter of shooting guards in usage and near the top eighth in assist rate). But perhaps even more impressive was Clarkson’s combination of poise and ballhandling ability, at age 22 and just being thrown into the fire, as he had a turnover rate well into the bottom third of even NBA PGs. Typically, rookie guards are incredibly turnover prone if they are productive; Clarkson was productive and not turnover prone. That bodes really well for him. Clarkson has always had a natural confidence and swagger on the court, but most likely with the help of Steve Nash, he really enhanced his assist rate from what is was in college, and also seamlessly translated his other strengths onto the NBA court.
Besides the passing, Clarkson really enhanced his athleticism in the NBA. We always knew he was an aggressive pace-pusher and penetrator of a guard, as within the past two college seasons, he had the second most unassisted shots at the rim, a trait that typically ends up being predictive for NBA success. Clarkson was well into the top third of shooting guards in layup attempts, in just his rookie season, and also near the top third in finishing. He’s reasonable, but not excellent, at drawing fouls as well, preferring the Derrick Rose/Tony Parker layup attempts rather than going through contact, in part because his upper body isn’t as defined as it could be right now. But even more than the layups, his athleticism also really shines through in dunks and tip-in attempts: even among SGs, despite being 6’5”, Clarkson’s dunk rate was near the top quarter of all SGs, and far better than what it was in Missouri, and even at that same height, he was near the top sixth in tip-in attempts, oftentimes being incredibly aggressive and willing to utilize his athleticism around the trees for boards, despite his lack of weight. He was fifth in offensive rebound rate. He doesn’t convert the tip-ins, but this illustrates his desire to hustle and work hard on the court, an intangibles trait he seems to possess in spades given his rapid development in just a year.
Besides at-rim shots, the other area Clarkson feasts on is with off-the-dribble mid-range jumpers, being in the top quarter of attempts here, with a very solid conversion rate (40.3%), a mark above the league average for SGs and once again, besting his conversion rates throughout college. Clarkson’s sweet spot is the short mid-range area, where he shot an excellent 47.6%; he still shot a good 38.6% on long mid-range jumpers as well. This mark can definitely hold, given that he shot an excellent 82.9% on free throws with the Lakers, and 83.1% in Missouri. His mechanics are slightly unorthodox, but he has natural touch here and innate shot-making ability. Largely, Clarkson’s only offensive weakness in his rookie year was his inability to space the floor--he only took a fifth of his shots as threes, and hit 31.4%--roughly expected, given his college marks. But, considering his elite athleticism, and ability to be a triple-threat guard mid-range-in (one who can pass the ball, get to the basket without turning the ball over, or hit the mid-range shot) it’s not a big issue at all, and given his shooting touch, can be developed over time. While Clarkson’s offensive RPM was slightly subpar for a PG, this might be the result of team dynamic, as his game is suggestive of being a productive, lead offensive guard if he can keep this up.
Despite the athleticism and height, Clarkson has perpetually put up poor defensive impact ratings, both in college and in his first season with the Lakers. He was one deviation below the average for NBA PGs, a horrid mark, and he might have been a culprit for the Lakers’ poor defense. Still, Clarkson is a reasonable defensive rebounder and a very good shotblocker for a PG--the latter of which was in the top quarter, and he controls his fouls quite well, especially for a rookie. Clarkson also ramped up his ability to get steals--he was a reasonable stealer in the league, and much better than the poor numbers he put up through college. Clarkson clearly has the athleticism, gets into a low crouching position, and appears to be active, and his all-around metrics are much more promising than his current impact. Given his age, he looks like he can improve in this area, especially since he’s already made a great leap in many areas of his game.
In many ways, Clarkson reminds of Monta Ellis, with possibly better defensive potential, better height, a better work ethic and far less moodiness. He’s a combo guard who utilizes a good usage rate to be particularly lethal mid-range in, with good touch, the athleticism to attack the rim, and with great ballhandling and passing ability for the 2-guard. He has vastly improved his passing ability, mid-range touch and defensive counting stats from his college output, which illustrates an excellent work ethic. He was already taking names of all the point guards taken above him after the draft. There is room to really improve the overall defense and long range touch, but those are correctable, and he’s a very promising player as currently comprised. We knew that his college team was surrounded by turmoil, and that his game was far more conducive to the NBA’s open court, but it is extremely impressive for him to improve this much, and it was well-deserved that he made the All-Rookie first team.
