Jordan Clarkson's development and future

[Landsberger]

^^^Clarkson is actually far less efficient than Williams or Young, he's no where close to them.

If you believe those individual stats are exclusively reflective of individual value in a highly dynamic team game with hundreds of thousands of variables I guess. I think they are a very small part of the story.

Is Clarkson as valuable as Williams? Doesn't that depend on the situation or is his value tattooed on his arm regardless of the situation. That's what those so called advanced stats do when viewed in a vacuum.

For this team, I believe Clarkson's in a situation that isn't his best situation. Williams is in a situation he will not be in anywhere else.

Young won't be a starter getting the opportunities he's getting now anywhere else either.

In the end we lose Young for nothing, Lou is over 30 on a team 5 years away and Clarkson is 25 and needs some help to get to his ceiling. I'd view their value to our team in that order.

[RingsDontLie]

Clarkson is a guy we keep. He's a solid athletic combo guard. I'd put him in over Young and give him the green light. We should be showcasing his offensive skillset.... not playing him with Lou. Play Young and Lou together off the bench.

[Kilroy]

Clarkson's a dynamic scorer and is extremely efficient inside the arc... His problems are largely out near the 3pt line and beyond... He's not a knock down outside shooter. In fact, he may have taken a step back in that regard from last year. He's also not terrific at the ft line... All of which are killing his shooting stats...
IMO, he's an ideal 6th man, especially if we also have Nance or Robinson off the bench, because he can play a poor-man's Ginobili role and run the offense, while also creating his own shot when needed.
He just needs to stop trying to compete with Lou Will and just focus on heads-up basketball. He's a better Facilitator than he's showing right now.
If we could find a pure jump shooter for the bench, JC, Nance (or Robinson), Black is an extremely good bench core. They just need a shooter or 2 to spread the floor. But for an 8-man rotation, those guys are pretty good.

Lou Williams is better... But he really has no business on this team right now. That's a guy that needs a contender bad. And Lou Will being being better shouldn't really be a knock on JC.

[tugs]

I think Jordan is just really lost with his role with the team. I agree he developed his 3 range but it's atrocious. His money game is PnR combined with his midrange Js.

[TylersLakers]

I'd like to see him playing 30+ minutes a game consistently. Lou being traded would help his development I think.

PG: Russell [36]/ Clarkson [12]
SG: Young [26]/ Clarkson [22]

Russell plays 36 minutes, Clarkson 34, Young 26. 3 guard rotation the rest of the way. Whether or not we trade Lou Williams, this should be the minutes going forward. Young's spacing ability will help Clarkson and D-Lo.

[Landsberger]

I think Jordan is just really lost with his role with the team. I agree he developed his 3 range but it's atrocious. His money game is PnR combined with his midrange Js.

The best he's looked this year has been in several runs with Zubac playing the pick and roll. He demands the defenses attention because he can finish at the hoop and that combined wth Zubac's skill has looked really good at times. You can see he enjoys playing that with him as well. I could see sets as a starter where he runs this with Zubac and Russell is off the ball as a floor spreader. Russell shoots better off the ball and JC does better in the paint. Seems like a plausible thing to try with the 20 something games left if we can move Young and Williams.

[dAdo dA dEvil]

I think Jordan is just really lost with his role with the team. I agree he developed his 3 range but it's atrocious. His money game is PnR combined with his midrange Js.

The best he's looked this year has been in several runs with Zubac playing the pick and roll. He demands the defenses attention because he can finish at the hoop and that combined wth Zubac's skill has looked really good at times. You can see he enjoys playing that with him as well. I could see sets as a starter where he runs this with Zubac and Russell is off the ball as a floor spreader. Russell shoots better off the ball and JC does better in the paint. Seems like a plausible thing to try with the 20 something games left if we can move Young and Williams.

I like this. As what I said before if we are to play half court sets I prefer JC to be the point and DLo to be the shooter. Have Zubac play the 5 and Randle and Ingram on forward spots. Why JC on the point? because JC is the better slasher and stronger than DLo plus DLo can be the catch and shoot player (I think he is better than JC when it comes to catch and shoot and shooting 3s).

I imagine JC on top of the key then Zubac sets a screen. We now have a pick and roll it's either JC finishes it or dishes it to Zubac or if the D will collapse in the paint JC just need to find the open DLo waiting on the 3 point area. If shots won't fall I hope Randle cleans the board for an offensive put back. If Ingram's shots are falling then it's better as we have another spot up shooter. Then this team is deadly in an open court as you have four players who could handle the ball in a fast break. Whew, only if it is this easy... then we're winning championships in my dreams.

[tugs]

I think there has been numbers posted on Russell's effectivity as PG compared to JC and it shows Russell is better of as 1. But given the circumstances, having them switch is a lot better than they are right now.

Rather than emulating the Dubs, I think the team make up is a lot closer to the Nash-Amare-D'Antoni Suns.

[Landsberger]

I think there has been numbers posted on Russell's effectivity as PG compared to JC and it shows Russell is better of as 1. But given the circumstances, having them switch is a lot better than they are right now.

Rather than emulating the Dubs, I think the team make up is a lot closer to the Nash-Amare-D'Antoni Suns.

As a pure passing PG I'd agree that Russell is better. His issues scoring and getting to the hoop are why I'd line up JC and Zubac in P&R over Russell. JC can get to the hoop without the P&R and finish. Is he great at it? No but he's the best on our team by a fair margin. Russell has the better vision and passing but without a guard that can finish in the lane the P&R becomes ineffective. You have to have the threat of a finisher to have it work the best.

Russell, at this point, isn't shooting well off the dribble. His shooting % has been sinking since December. He's also taking a very high % of his shots from deep for a PG. He's done the best when shooting off the ball in a more "catch and shoot" situation.

To be clear, I'm not advocating a change in poisons for the 2 rather sets within the offense that put Zubac and JC in the pick and roll.

Now for the forwards..... This is where I think we need to start thinking of a change. Neither of them are floor spacers and if the Pick and Roll started to click then I'd think that teams would clog the lane and make Ingram and Randle shoot jumpers. Ingram isn't shooting well at all (not sure you can understate that at this point) and Randle isn't a floor stretcher by any means either. I've said this in other threads but I think we could move Randle for a missing piece and look to sign a stretch 4 in the off season and be a much more balanced team next year.

[NBAWestFan]

I think if his problem is the 3 point shooting and free throw shooting a young guard can get better.

[tugs]

We've been talking about the different versions of JC. Found a nice video "breakdown":

Watch on YouTube

[Landsberger]

We've been talking about the different versions of JC. Found a nice video "breakdown":

Watch on YouTube

That's a good breakdown of him and I think it shows that he's being coached differently. That big of a focus shift almost has to be by design. Especially if he isn't getting sat down for it.

In the end I'm not sure you can look at just one player and an assist stat and get anything really meaningful. To get assists there are many variables not in that stat. Offensive sets, teammates, coaching, defense weaknesses/strengths of the opposing team etc. We ran a much different offense last year.

I've never thought of him as a PG at this level. He's more of an attacking 2 guard that can also do some PG duty in situations but I think it's not where he is most comfortable.

With Lou gone I think he fits really well as the scoring punch off the bench for this team. No one else in the second group other than Zubac maybe can have a 20 point game right now.

He's the one young player we have that has exceeded his draft analysis potential and by a long ways.