Jordan Clarkson turned potentially ugly Knicks situation into shining leadership example

The first thought was, “This could get ugly.”

It was Feb. 8, just after the trade deadline, and Jordan Clarkson was profanely responding to fans on social media who were criticizing his play. At the time, Clarkson had been in and out of the Knicks rotation, collecting healthy DNPs or opportunities with sparse minutes.

Starting late January, he went two weeks without scoring more than three points in a game. Then, immediately after the All-Star break, Clarkson went two weeks without a single bucket.

So as Clarkson’s frustration was spilling onto X — where venting is screenshotted and lasts forever — the red flags were catching gusts of wind. In the past, I’ve seen veterans arrive to smaller roles than expected and never recover. Evan Fournier comes to mind. Kemba Walker. Guerschon Yabusele. Cam Reddish wasn’t a vet, but his commitment to the Knicks departed with his playing time.