Jordan Clarkson had a bad year. This past season he shot just 41% from the floor and under 30% from three. His turnovers were up and his defense was at an all-time worse. He may have value for another team but it’s clear that whatever his skillset currently is, it’s not good enough for the Utah Jazz to win with. At least not to the degree that he would require being used.
If he were to change up his game, much like what we’d ask John Collins to do, there might be a spot on the Jazz for Clarkson. He’d have to play defense though, and that may be a tough ask. He’s just not a guy playing winning basketball anymore. At least not playing good enough winning basketball to help a team as needy as the Jazz. It may be unfair to expect him to help carry the load to that degree but that’s what he was expected to do.
Despite that, he wants to be in Utah. He does seem to genuinely love it here and you want to root for guys like that. Guys who like where they play, build a life there. Who finds a home? Yet, despite that, fans appear to want Clarkson out of the state.
According to SLC Dunk, nearly 83% of Utah Jazz fans want to move on from the former Sixth Man of the Year Award winner. Honestly, we get it. As a man, we love Clarkson. We love his energy, his desire to play in Utah, and his overall attitude. We wish he was playing better than he is. It’s that simple. The folks at SLC Dunk seem to agree, as do a lot of the fans who took to the poll.
It’s a sad reality, but it is the reality we live in.
The same can’t be said for Collins, who had 71% of the fandom vote for him to get traded. We’re also ok with that. His defense was atrocious last season, and he held the team back. That said, you need to be mindful about who you get rid of, as Clarkson and Collins were two big contributors on offense. Even if Clarkson is inefficient. You have to make sure that by improving the defense, you don’t ruin the offense as well.
