Where Jazz G Jordan Clarkson Ranks in NBA’s Top 24 Shooting Guards
With the 2023-24 NBA season creeping up slowly upon us, publications and news outlets have begun inevitably releasing their annual player and position rankings. This time, in particular, HoopsHype dropped a top 24 ranking of the NBA’s best shooting guards entering next season.
Headlined by players such as Phoenix Suns G Devin Booker (ranked 1st), Minnesota Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards (ranked 2nd), and former Utah Jazz/current Cleveland Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell (ranked 3rd), there was a large collection of star talent to choose from
Even without any of the superstar-caliber guard like Donovan Mitchell still on Utah's roster, the team still had some deserved representation in the rankings. Jazz G Jordan Clarkson came in as the 18th-best shooting guard in the NBA entering the 2023-24 season.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype had this to say about the Jazz guard coming off of his career season for Utah in 2022-23:
"Former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson was a full-time starter for the Utah Jazz in 2022-23 and responded by averaging a career-high 20.8 points and 4.4 assists per contest, posting one of the best overall seasons of his career. Clarkson’s stats were far from empty, too, as he made the Jazz 2.6 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor.
Clarkson is a creative scorer whose moves are difficult to predict for defenders; his floater game is elite and he’s shifty as a ball-handler. He can also shoot threes, though he can be streaky from beyond the arc, hitting just 33.8 percent of his triples last season. Still, Clarkson is an above-average starter thanks to his scoring and underrated playmaking."
A few names such as Golden State Warriors G Jordan Poole (17), Oklahoma City Thunder G Jalen Williams (16), and Los Angeles Lakers G Austin Reaves (14) are ranked just ahead of Clarkson. The placement of JC within that crowd is debatable, to say the least, but pinning him in the top 20 in his position group at least seems like a fair assessment.
There remain questions surrounding if Clarkson will stay the "shooting guard" of this team, as the potential to place him at the point rather could allow the Jazz to have more size and versatility going into next season. Without any true answer for his role at this point in the offseason, a 2023-24 salary of over $23 million pretty much locks him into a spot in this starting five.
Clarkson is coming off his best season, but there are some reasons to consider the possibility of seeing some regression. Entering his age-31 season, seeing a slight decrease in minutes played and/or a drop in athleticism would not be unheard of for similar players in his position. We have yet to see any signs of slowing down from the soon-to-be 10-year NBA vet, but Father Time is always a factor to keep in mind.
Regardless, this upcoming season will present Clarkson with a substantial opportunity to build on his career year to increase his rankings in the league. Entering this year with the ability to establish himself as a crucial, producing veteran leader, Jazz fans could be in for another career year from JC in Salt Lake City.
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