The series between the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets has been headlined by Donovan Mitchell. But for the young guard, Jordan Clarkson should be getting credit.
In the Jazz's Game 4 victory which put them up 3-1 against the Nuggets, Clarkson dropped 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from deep. But more than his efficient numbers, the team admires Clarkson's innate abilities — specifically his knack for playmaking and scoring.
“You know it’s a breath of fresh air, not just for myself but for the entire team, to have a guy that wants the ball with four seconds on the clock, the guy that can just take it ‘iso’ and get buckets any way he can,” Mitchell said, per Sarah Todd of Deseret News. “He’s been a really unsung hero here … he’s playing out of his mind.”
So far in the series, Clarkson is averaging 19.8 points (50 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from deep), 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His production are improvements from the regular season where he averaged 15.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
It's easy to notice how much of an offensive boost Clarkson has given the Jazz. However, for head coach Quinn Snyder, Clarkson has been making strides on the defensive end as well.
“He’s been as committed and made the defensive end important not just with effort but with trying to understand everything that we’re trying to do schematically,” the Jazz head coach said.
The Jazz have a chance to close out the series against the Nuggets on Tuesday.
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