The New York Knicks have gotten back to their winning ways, having won their last five games and found their rhythm on both ends of the floor. However, it didn’t happen without a major change in the rotation.
Jordan Clarkson is the Knicks’ odd man out
Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson, who was a regular in head coach Mike Brown’s rotation through the first half of the season, is suddenly the odd man out. He has logged three DNP-CD’s during this win streak, with his only meaningful minutes occurring in garbage (except for the game against the Raptors with two injured Knicks out).
Brown hasn’t provided much of an explanation as for why he has made the sudden change, as he has emphasized that he believes in playing the guys who are making the impact in the moment. Clarkson has had a solid season offensively, but has struggled at times to provide a spark, and he has mostly been a liability on the defensive side.
This season, he is averaging 9.3 points and shooting 42.2% from the field. He signed with New York in the summer on a veteran’s minimum contract, hoping to fill a void that was left last season with their lack of bench scoring.
Could the Knicks trade Clarkson?
He has had some good moments, such as his heroics in the NBA Cup championship game against the San Antonio Spurs. However, he’s been struggling on both ends for a while, and with Landry Shamet now healthy, Brown has opted to give Shamet the bulk of those minutes.
With the trade deadline looming, it is certainly worth wondering if he will be dangled in trade negotiations. The Knicks are looking for frontcourt upgrades and could offer Clarkson in a package of need be.
In the meantime, they will focus on keeping the winning going, with a big matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of them on Sunday.