Philippines HC Sounds Off on Jordan Clarkson Getting Special Treatment
Utah Jazz shooting guard Jordan Clarkson is just getting warmed up before the FIBA World Cup takes center stage on August 25.
Representing Gilas Pilipinas, the former Sixth Man of the Year recently participated in two exhibition games against Montenegro and Ivory Coast, averaging 20 points in the two-game set.
Clarkson leads a group that’s expected to be competitive when the games matter. In Group A, Gilas Pilipinas will face off against the Dominican Republic, Angola, and Italy, hoping to advance to the next round and beyond.
The international stage is no stranger to Clarkson. In 2018 he played for the Philippines in the Asian Games, averaging 26 points per game and leading his team to a fifth-place finish. Clarkson qualifies as the team's naturalized player, with his grandmother being born in Bacolor Pampanga, Philippines.
Despite not being surrounded by NBA talent, Clarkson appears he fit in fine with his new teammates. Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes took note of their sharpshooting guard not expecting special treatment at practice.
“I’ve always said this; when Jordan is here, he’s just one of the guys. He doesn’t demand to be treated differently,” Reyes told reporters. “He goes through everything that everybody else is doing. We’ve always known that about Jordan from way back, from the first time we’ve had him, he’s never demanded any kind of special treatment. That’s why we really like to have him around.”
Reyes isn’t the only prominent basketball figure that wants Clarkson around. The Jazz saw enough to sign him to a three-year, $72 million contract extension this summer.
However, it’s still not clear what Clarkson's exact role will be as we approach the 2023-24 season. There’s been some speculation that Clarkson could be Utah’s starting point guard to start the season, with Ochai Agbaji starting at the two.
That said, he could be the starting shooting guard of the future. In 2022-23 Clarkson averaged 20.8 ppg and a career-high 4.4 assists in his first year as a full-time starter in a Jazz uniform.
Lastly, it’s still plausible for Clarkson to revert back to his former role of sixth man, where he thrived for most of his career. Remember, Clarkson is only two years removed from winning the coveted Sixth Man of the Year award.
Either way, Jazz fans can anticipate Clarkson to log 30 minutes per game, whether it’s as a starter or coming off the bench. Clarkson’s next appearance in the FIBA will be on August 25 versus the Dominican Republic.
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