NBA 6MOY Power Rankings: Jordan Clarkson is setting the league on fire

NBA 6MOY Power Rankings, No. 1: Jordan Clarkson – 17.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 57% EFG, 39% 3FG

Jordan Clarkson is the clear frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year right now and with good reason. He is currently averaging a career-high 17 points per game, along with four rebounds a game while shooting 39 percent from 3-point range, and has an effective field goal percentage of 57 percent.

It wasn’t too long ago that Jordan Clarkson was viewed as an empty-calorie type player. Someone that could score a lot but doesn’t do much else and certainly doesn’t help you win. This was the case spending years on both those bad Laker teams and on the post-LeBron Cavs, where wins just did not come very frequently.

However, since he was acquired by Utah in a trade last year, Clarkson has completely changed that narrative. Clarkson has learned Quin Snyder’s system and now is one of the best scorers in the game – essentially becoming a taller-Lou Williams 2.0.

Clarkson has an underrated array of offensive skills – he can hit the off the bounce 3, he can finish around the basket with his herky-jerky motions, he can get to the paint, and (if a defense blows up an offense set) Utah can get the ball to Clarkson in late shot-clock situations.  Some of Clarkson’s best games this season include a 26-point, 6-rebound night in a win at Milwaukee, and a 31-point scoring barrage recently at home against the Dallas Mavericks.

Some of Clarkson’s success this year has been from changing his shot profile. On those awful Laker and Cavs teams he played for, Clarkson took a ton of contested long 2’s and resorted to cloggy inefficient 1-on-1 play. Now playing in Utah, where the offense relies on motion passes and spacing, Clarkson is getting fewer long twos, more open three looks, and much more advantageous 1-on-1 opportunities.

Clarkson has been used as a secondary scorer playing off either Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell and Conley serve as the primary ball handlers and are often guarded by the opponent’s best defender, leaving lesser defenders on Clarkson for him to exploit. In the 210 minutes, he’s shared the floor with Conley and Rudy Gobert, Utah is +13.5 points per 100 possessions.

If Utah keeps winning at this rate, Clarkson might have this award sealed by the end of this month. And if Clarkson doesn’t get Sixth Man of the Year, he should also get consideration for Most Improved Player. He’s singing some sweet notes up in Utah right now.