NEW YORK – The New York Knicks had a successful Friday night, dominating the Utah Jazz, 146-112. OG Anunoby returned to the lineup and scored 11 points in 23 minutes. New York improved to 15-7 overall and 12-1 at home.
It was a matchup against old friends for Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson, who spent almost six seasons playing for Utah. The veteran made just five of his 13 shots but gave an all-around effort, tallying 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. It was representative of how he's helped the Knicks so far this season.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy told reporters pregame that he encourages his team to “try and focus on big-picture things” when they play a talented team like the Knicks, implicitly acknowledging the talent disparity. He also explicitly mentioned the pressure New York puts on the basket to create offense as the trait of theirs that concerned him most.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown prioritizes using rim pressure to create open looks. After the win, Brown told reporters he believes his team leads the NBA in “sprays,” when a player drives and passes from the paint to a teammate on the perimeter. Clarkson is a significant part of that attack.
Clarkson's ‘artistry' makes him key piece of Knicks' offense
The Knicks are eighth in the NBA in drives per game with 53.4 through 22 games, one more than the Oklahoma City Thunder have averaged in their first 23. The Miami Heat are the only team ahead of New York that has a winning record.
A total of 14 Knicks players have combined for 1,174 drives this season, per the NBA. Jalen Brunson's 321 drives are 27.3% of that total. Karl-Anthony Towns (178 drives, 15.1%) and Mikal Bridges (164, 14%) are next. The Knick with the fourth-most drives this season is Clarkson, whose 134 account for 11.4% of the team's total thus far.
Clarkson averages 6.1 drives per game, fifth-highest on the team. He is behind only the three aforementioned starters and OG Anunoby, whose totals have been inhibited by injury. Brown provides his players with logical principles to apply on the court. It is a system founded on probing defenses by driving, forcing them to act, and responding to that action with the goal of getting the ball to someone that is open. He particularly likes corner 3-pointers, where the team still leads the NBA in attempts.
These are not complete answer keys to the NBA. Reading defensive coverages, adjusting in the moment, or consistently finding ways to make something out of a broken play require “feel” for the game. Clarkson's combination of innate instincts, polished skills, and empirical knowledge show through his ball-handling and scoring abilities but also give his feel on the court a unique flair.
Clarkson spent almost two seasons with the Jazz before they hired Hardy. The head coach of the Jazz, who coached Clarkson for three seasons, spoke to the 33-year-old's feel ahead of the matchup, recalling the success the “very creative” Clarkson had when the two worked to find balance.
“He has, like, an artist’s brain, almost. You have to let him go. You can’t micromanage every possession because you both end up frustrated … I told JC last year that when he felt the moment, got it going, we’d all step back–myself included–and let him do his guitar solo … asked that 75% of the game, he played a song everybody knew.”
The tweak Mike Brown can make to improve Knicks' offense
Injuries to OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet thrusted Josh Hart and Deuce McBride into Brown's starting lineup. Clarkson, however, is a true fixture of the second unit. Moments like his 24-point NBA Cup performance against the Miami Heat have not resulted in a consistent scoring groove. Clarkson averages 10.3 points per game on 8.7 shots per game, making just 43.8% of those attempts. Last season, he made 36.2% of his 3-pointers while taking 6.3 per game. The 28-92 start this year leaves him shooting 30.4% from deep.
Potentially most impressive about Clarkson's play in 2025 was his 29% free throw rate, his attempted free throws divided by his total field goal tries. The 33-year-old has just an 18.75% free throw rate through 22 games as a Knick.
Clarkson having better teammates in New York does discourage defenses from collapsing, reducing the potential contact and giving him space. His play correlates as the two-thirds of shot attempts he is making from within five feet of the basket thus far would be a career-high over a full season.
Brown cannot will Clarkson to make more of his 3-point shots. His job is to implement a system that generates good looks for his players to capitalize on. By encouraging Clarkson to prioritize driving to the basket, Brown can help the Knicks' offense even more.
As defenses adjust to prevent Clarkson from thriving as a scorer, his teammates will get more room on stage. Letting him ‘cook' mismatches – playing guitar solos – as fans watched in awe was key to his relationship with Hardy. Clarkson pressuring the rim and scoring even more from the free throw line could be instrumental to the Knicks' playoff hopes.
It has always been Jordan Clarkson's job to create on the court. When he drives, defenses have to choose between giving him an opportunity to score in isolation or record a spray. Whether he chooses to take the solo or set up a bandmate, he's playing the kind of music Brown wants to hear. The coach can help ensure everything is in tune by getting Clarkson more opportunities at the rim.
