RealGM

The Time Is Now for Brandon Clarke

With Jaren Jackson Jr. out for the season, the Grizzlies need their other star rookie (think new-age Shawn Marion) to step up and deliver in the present



Ja Morant isn’t the only sensational rookie in Memphis. Brandon Clarke, the no. 21 pick in the 2019 draft, has been just as incredible off the bench. He’s the Grizzlies’ best chance of holding on in a tight race for the no. 8 seed in the West now that Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for the season with a torn meniscus.

It’s hard to overstate how good Clarke has been. He hasn’t played enough (22.1 minutes per game) for his per-game averages (12.0 points on 62.0 percent shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks) to tell the whole story. But his efficiency numbers are unreal. He has the highest field goal percentage of any rookie in NBA history averaging more than 10 points per game.

He’s just as good on defense, too. Players his size shouldn’t be able to protect the rim as well as he does. Combine that with his ability to switch screens and stay in front of smaller guards on the perimeter and he’s one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA.

Big picture, Memphis is in a great position even if it misses the playoffs. The team’s young nucleus is way ahead of schedule. The biggest benefit of playing in the bubble is giving more opportunities to youngsters like Clarke.
He could be the perfect third wheel next to Morant and Jackson. He’s a great defender who can get stops and run the floor with them, and he doesn’t need many plays run for him in the half court. A frontcourt of Jackson and Clarke can do everything.

Spoiler:

Clarke could develop into a new-age Shawn Marion. Both are combo forwards with elite athleticism, great feel, the ability to defend four positions, unorthodox shooting mechanics, and superb touch around the basket. In the 2005-06 season, Marion averaged 21.8 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. That doesn’t look too different from Clarke’s per-36 minute numbers as a rookie: 19.5 points on 62 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks.

The Grizzlies have some of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns in them. Morant is the unselfish point guard always pushing the pace (Steve Nash), Jackson is the talented big man who can score all over the floor (Amar’e Stoudemire), and Clarke is the defensive Swiss Army knife who does all the little things (Marion). Put two knockdown shooters around those three and the rest of the league could be in trouble. What separates the Grizzlies from those Suns is that they can get stops, too.

Clarke is the key for the remaining playoff push this season, but he’s even more important to the Grizzlies’ future.