Whenever an injury like an Achilles tendon tear occurs, it is a very serious situation.
The recovery is lengthy, and depending on the type of athlete dealing with the traumatic injury, it can dramatically impact their ability to play the way they once did. Even in this era of modern medicine, a big-time jumper or explosive re-leaper could have issues getting back to how they were.
So when Brandon Clarke suffered such an injury almost two years ago, it was natural to be concerned. Here’s a player who was one of the most efficient college basketball players in America during his one season at Gonzaga, behind only the likes of Zion Williamson. So much of that efficiency was predicated on his ability to move, to jump, and then jump again rapidly. When he fell to Memphis in the 2019 NBA Draft, it was a coup.
Then, a torn Achilles almost brought all that to a crashing halt.
“Almost” is the key word.
The defense is back
Brandon Clarke is one of the NBA’s most impactful bench defenders.
It shines somewhat in his steal and block percentages, which are above league-average. But it really shines through in his on/off numbers defensively. The Memphis Grizzlies were giving up -13.1 points less per 100 possessions when Clarke was on the floor heading into Thursday’s game with the Sacramento Kings. He’s such a malleable defender – he is able to do just about anything you need him to do as a rim protector, a switchable big, and much more.
Even at 6’8″, his use of his body plays bigger than he actually is. And even more importantly, he has retained much of what made him special upon his arrival in Memphis before his injury. He can jump, he can get off the floor quickly, and reset his feet to better position himself for a rebound or another opponent’s shot attempt.
That is why he makes so much sense to have alongside a bigger but similar type of player in Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren and Clarke are an imposing duo defensively, and their overall +15.1 efficiency rating together is indicative of that.
He’s finishing again, too
While Clarke is not quite at the offensive points per shot attempt production that he was pre-injury just yet, he’s close. And this is while posting the lowest usage rate of his NBA career. That’s not a problem, of course — there are lots of offensive mouths to feed in the Memphis rotation. But it does make you wonder how BC is getting the job done.
As good as he is at playing at the rim defensively, he’s just as strong there offensively. He was shooting a career-best 84% at the rim entering the Sacramento game Thursday night, and that can make a world of difference for a player with little perimeter game. Whether he’s finishing off dribble penetration, as a lob threat, or even his vaunted floater game, he looks the part of a weapon in the pick and roll.
It’s difficult to defend. And a solid showing for Clarke of understanding what his skill set is offensively. Being a force at the rim and in space off of pick-and-roll sets helps the Grizzlies offense go. More slashing lanes, more collapsing the paint so shooters have clean lines at the rim…that presence has to be accounted for. Clarke makes that much of a difference for Memphis there.
The Clarke Renaissance will be televised
On a Memphis roster where guys like Zach Edey bring very different contributions at a big-man spot than Clarke, BC has proved he still holds value to Memphis.
Is he still a member of the core of the franchise (if he ever was)? Maybe not. Desmond Bane, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. appear to be the long-term cornerstones of the franchise. But Clarke still has two years left on his contract at $12.5 million a year – that is a very reliable contributor at a very reasonable price.
If Clarke continues performing at this level, his next contract will be much more expensive. Considering that Achilles injury, the direction could have been vastly different. Both he and Memphis are grateful that Clarke is back to being a key two-way cog to the Grizzlies machine.
Leave a comment