Will Hardy Shares Unique Analogy About Knicks G Jordan Clarkson

The Utah Jazz suffered a deflating 146-112 loss against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Friday night. A 33-point outing from Jalen Brunson ultimately sank this Jazz team that won three of its previous four games, but he certainly got some help.

Most notably, former Jazz standout Jordan Clarkson chipped in 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists off the bench for the Knicks, shooting 5-13 from the field and 2-5 from three-point range. Clarkson played six seasons in Utah, and while it was only a matter of time before he moved on, Jazz head coach Will Hardy still has the utmost respect for him.

After Friday's game, Hardy shared an unusual analogy about Clarkson's playstyle.

"He’s very creative. He has, like, an artist’s brain, almost," Hardy said, per Kris Pursianinen. "You have to let him go. You can’t micromanage every possession because you both end up frustrated…I told JC last year that when he felt the moment, got it going, we’d all step back - myself included - and let him do his guitar solo…asked that 75% of the game, he played a song everybody knew."

Will Hardy with my favorite quote of the year from a coach thus far, on Jordan Clarkson:

“He’s very creative. He has, like, an artist’s brain, almost. You have to let him go. You can’t micromanage every possession because you both end up frustrated…I told JC last year that when…
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) December 5, 2025

Jordan Clarkson has an "artist's brain"

Clarkson is a very interesting player, as he is the classic NBA sixth man. Sure, Clarkson's best statistical season was in his lone year as a starter in Utah, but his playstyle is better suited to a second unit, where he can come in and simply play his game.

Clarkson won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award with the Jazz during the 2020-21 season, where he averaged 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Now, Clarkson is posting career lows in New York, but it could be that Knicks coach Mike Brown is trying to "micromanage" him, as Hardy says.

This season, Clarkson is averaging a career-low 10.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while playing just 20.0 minutes per game. If the Knicks want the most out of Clarkson, they might just have to give him some more freedom and let him use his creativity.

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