Brandon Clarke (whose last name will never not be pronounced “Clarky” in my head) hasn’t gotten a highlight video for over a month. I’m not apologizing for that fact, I’m just saying, that’s how long Clarke has gone without a video. The issue, if you can even consider it an “issue”, is that Clarke’s low-volume, efficient scoring got even lower volume (but just as efficient) in the past few weeks.
Those two twenty-point games that Clarke had in rapid succession back in December have turned out to be an anomaly. There are plenty of players on the Grizzlies that are going to take the lead scoring the rock. Clarke is very rarely going to be that guy. And do we even want him to be that guy? His efficiency for a rookie is nuts, and it’s not like he’s totally afraid of trying to score. He just doesn’t try very often to manufacture buckets for himself because he knows that’s not his game. That kind of self-awareness is good to see.
It is a bit tiresome, however, that there is literally nothing bad to say about Clarke other than his ISO-scoring game doesn’t exist (which is an overrated skill anyway). I want to temper my enthusiasm for him with some carefully-worded criticism, but there is none to be found. Can a Grizzlies fan please tell me something that he does poorly so I can mention it in a future video description? Like he doesn’t box out enough or his help defense needs work or his rim protection isn’t where it should be or he punched Bruno Caboclo after a locker-room argument about the merits of Brazilian women? Please?