Jordan Clarkson odds-on favorite to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year award

We were told to expect the unexpected heading into the 2020-21 NBA season, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the New York Knicks are in the playoff picture, the Houston Rockets are actually better without James Harden, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have already won 10 games despite having the league’s most anonymous roster.

However, even with adjusted expectations it’s still shocking to see just how good the Utah Jazz have been. Quin Snyder’s club has won 15 of its last 16 games and sits atop the Western Conference, one game ahead of the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have received much of the credit for the team’s hot streak, but the Jazz wouldn’t have the best record in the league without the services of Jordan Clarkson.

The 28-year-old combo guard is averaging career-highs in points (17.5) and rebounds (4.4), and has already led Utah in scoring five times this season. His importance to the Jazz was especially evident on Jan. 27 against the Dallas Mavericks, when he scored a season-high 31 points in 33 minutes while Mitchell sat out with concussion-like symptoms.

Clarkson’s play has had a profound effect on his NBA Sixth Man of the Year campaign, as his odds have moved from +300 on Jan. 20 to -200 on Feb. 8. The Missouri product is now comfortably ahead of Toronto Raptors pivot Chris Boucher, Houston Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon, and Los Angeles Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the award a year ago.

One of the keys to Clarkson’s sparkling performance is his improved three-point shooting. The 6’4” guard is nailing 39% of his career-high eight three-point attempts per game, and has proven to be just as accurate in catch-and-shoot situations as when pulling up.

Clarkson has also been far more efficient than in years past. 34% of his field goal attempts and 32% of his three-point attempts are coming off of zero dribbles. That would have been unheard of earlier in his career, when he had a habit of pounding the air out of the ball.

Clarkson's more disciplined approach is all part of his masterplan, as he has admitted that winning the Sixth Man of the Year award is one of his primary goals. 

The season is still young, but if Utah can continue to stay near the top of the West, and Clarkson can continue to play within the flow of the offense, then the award is well within his grasp.