One of the less-commented-on storylines of the nascent NBA season is that Jaren Jackson Jr., a stud rookie who was supposed to only get better, is getting outplayed by a random Canadian rookie named Brandon Clarke. A lot of people had a lot of expectations for JJJ (not me though because his scoring game is too wonky for me to really believe in it), whereas I can’t tell that people had many expectations at all for Clarke, a late first-round selection.
Speaking of wonky scoring games, Clarke isn’t exactly orthodox in his methods. One word: floaters. He likes shooting floaters as a small-ish power forward. Now, everyone knows DownToBuck’s stance on floaters. It should not need to be repeated, but I’ll repeat it anyway: floaters are for bad players who can’t get better shots. Normally I’m thinking about point guards when I say that, but it applies to everyone. Here’s a thought experiment for you: when was the last time you saw LeBron James shoot a floater? The defense rests, your honor.
I will say that Clarke is making it work with them, so he gets a (begrudgingly given) pass from me. For now. But I want to see more real jumpers from him. Real jumpers are something you can build a career off of. Floaters aren’t. And don’t talk to me about a certain feisty French PG. He doesn’t count.