At the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers sent Jordan Clarkson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. So far, he hasn’t performed well in the playoffs.
Just before the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers made a big deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers were able to accomplish two of their main goals, as they cleared cap space for the 2018 offseason, and they also acquired a first-round draft pick.
For the Cavaliers, the trade with the Lakers was supposed to help them reach the NBA Finals once again, as Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were expected to help provide quality depth for the team.
In the playoffs so far, the Cavaliers are in a battle with the Indiana Pacers. Through four games, the series is tied 2-2 and will be heading back to Cleveland for a pivotal Game 5. So far in the playoffs, Clarkson has not been the spark off the bench that the Cavaliers were hoping for.
Against the Pacers, Clarkson has averaged just 5.5 points in 19.8 minutes per game. Considering Clarkson averaged 12.6 points per game for the Cavaliers during the regular season, this is a significant drop in production.
The supporting cast for the Cavaliers has been heavily scrutinized already this postseason, as LeBron James is doing it all once again. With this being such a close series, the Cavaliers could really use Clarkson to play like he did in the regular season.
In Game 4, Clarkson did have his best game of the playoffs, as he totaled 12 points on five-for-nine shooting from the field. Since Clarkson never played in the playoffs on the Lakers, this is certainly an adjustment for him. As a young player, playoff basketball can be a totally different animal, and Clarkson is learning on the fly.
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With a lot of expectations for the Cavaliers, they will need Clarkson to play like he did in Game 4. If Clarkson continues to struggle along with others, the Cavaliers will have a hard time making a deep run in the playoffs.