Knicks Veteran Guard Confident He Can Help Despite Benching

The New York Knicks have been mired in a brutal stretch of basketball over the last few weeks.

Since Dec. 31, when a four-game losing streak was started at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, the team has spiraled. They lost nine out of 11 games, losing consecutive contests for the first time since Oct. 26 through Oct. 31.

The team’s struggles prompted Josh Hart to return from his ankle injury early despite not being 100 percent healthy. He wants to do everything he can to help the team win and snap out of their funk.

The Brooklyn Nets proved to be the exact thing the Knicks needed. Facing off against their crosstown rivals, New York delivered a historic beatdown, winning 120-66. The 54-point victory was the largest margin in franchise history.

Jordan Clarkson responds to being benched by Knicks

Jan 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dribbles on Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

However, even bigger than the blowout was the fact that head coach Mike Brown is making a change to his rotation. Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson now looks to be on the outside looking in of the rotation.

It was a move that he revealed he was not approached about beforehand, but he could tell was coming. Despite not being part of the team’s plans currently, the reserve guard is still confident in his abilities to help a team win games.

“I can help any team in the league. I helped win here. You seen it early on in the year. I know I got a lot left in my tank,” said Clarkson, via Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “I know I can impact winning anywhere. I’ve impacted winning here in the short time that I’ve been here winning games. So I’ve just gotta stay prepared and control what I can control.”

The signs were there when he played 1:42 in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He missed all three shots he attempted, and when he was substituted from the game, never checked back in.

Fully healthy Knicks makes finding Jordan Clarkson minutes tough

With the Knicks having their full allotment of players available for the first time in months, it is Clarkson who will now be removed from the rotation. Against the Nets, those extra minutes went to Landry Shamet, who knocked down all six of his 3-point attempts and finished with a plus/minus ratio of +23 in 15 minutes of action.

He did eventually check into the game against Brooklyn, playing the entire fourth quarter after Brown cleared his bench with the game already in hand. Those 12 minutes could be the most that Clarkson plays in a single game in a while, unless the Knicks are participating in more blowouts.

It is hard to blame the head coach for making such a move. Clarkson offers dynamic scoring ability off the bench, but he wasn’t impacting winning as much as the team had hoped when they signed him to a veteran’s minimum contract this past summer.

His numbers are currently well below his averages as well. Should the numbers hold, Clarkson is on pace to have career lows in points, rebounds and assists, failing to average double-digit points per game for the first time in his 12-year career.

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