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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Knicks added a couple of key pieces in free agency this summer, signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to bolster their depth.
Clarkson is certainly the bigger name and has quite a bit more experience than Yabusele, who really just began to blossom last season. But just because the former is more recognizable does not mean he is the better acquisition.
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Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes doesn't seem all that enthralled about the Knicks' decision to sign Clarkson, noting how much the shooting guard has declined in recent years.
"The offensive-minded guard has been good for at least 15.0 points per game since 2018-19, won Sixth man of the Year in 2020-21 and finished fourth the following season," Hughes wrote. "Slippage has been a constant ever since, and Clarkson now enters his age-33 campaign with real questions about his efficiency, durability and fitness for a roster designed to win games."
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Clarkson averaged 16.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds over 26 minutes per game on 40.8/36.2/79.7 shooting splits with the Utah Jazz last season.
To be fair, Clarkson's three-point percentage was his best mark since 2019-20, but his overall field-goal percentage and his free-throw percentage were both career lows.
The veteran still has microwave scoring ability and should absolutely provide some punch off the bench for New York. Clarkson can still create his own shot, and that inherently has value, even if Clarkson is not the most efficient scorer in the world.
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The question is whether or not Clarkson's ability to get a bucket — inefficiently — is worth the trouble that he will cause on the defensive side of the ball, where he has never been all that capable. Not only that, but injuries limited the University of Missouri product to just 37 games in 2024-25, and he hasn't appeared in 70 contests since 2021-22.
Maybe Clarkson will see a resurgence with a contending team in the Big Apple, but there is no doubt that he is no guarantee to uplift the Knicks.
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