Since LeBron James’ departure last summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to remain competitive. They have one of the worst records in the league this season, and are once again bound to get a high lottery pick in this June’s draft. However, there have been a few bright spots for the Cavs this season, and one of them is the highly athletic guard, Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson, a five-year veteran, has accepted a bench role with the Cavaliers this season, and he fully took advantage of the opportunity. He’s averaging 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists as the primary option of Cleveland’s second unit.
JC’s development as a prolific scoring sixth man has been impressive, and some fans can’t help but compare him to Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Williams.
And the comparisons seem to be valid.
As of this writing, both Clarkson and Williams are tied for most games with at least 10 points off the bench (63), and in his interview with The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, JC said it feels great to be compared to be one of the best sixth man to ever play in the NBA.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” Clarkson said. “I don’t really play for stuff like that, I just play because I have fun and I love the game. But that’s a cool accomplishment for me. I can make a mark on an organization, that I want to be here and be a part of what’s going on here, that would be pretty cool.”
There’s no denying the fact that Clarkson is a very talented player. He can even start for some other team, but him choosing to embrace an off-the-bench role for the rebuilding Cavs says a lot about his character as a basketball player.