Last season, the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers combined for 41 wins. The Knicks? They posted 51, securing the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. That’s 10 more wins than Utah and Philly put together— a stark contrast capturing the excitement for Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, two impact additions tasked with breathing life into a Knicks bench that ranked dead last in scoring.
The basketball fit makes all the sense in the world. But for Clarkson and Yabusele, the opportunity to play meaningful basketball again means even more.
“I’m a competitor at the end of the day,” said Clarkson, the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year, whose time in Utah ended with a contract buyout and a new opportunity in New York. “I want to win. That [Jazz] timeline just didn’t line up with mine. That’s no disrespect to them in any way. But I’m here now [ready to play] Knicks basketball.”
The Knicks entered the summer with three clear goals: replace Tom Thibodeau, re-sign Mikal Bridges and retool a bench that lacked punch throughout last year’s playoff run. Check, check and check.
Only time will tell whether Clarkson and Yabusele are the swing pieces that elevate this team beyond its Eastern Conference Finals ceiling. But on paper, the upside is clear.
Clarkson is a certified bucket-getter who’s outscored every bench player in the league over the last five years. Yabusele steps into the role previously held by Precious Achiuwa — but brings far more offensive firepower. Just like that, New York’s seven-man postseason rotation now projects to go nine-deep on most nights — and possibly ten or 11, should Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet make the opening-night roster.
“Give [Knicks president] Leon [Rose] and his group a lot of credit, give [Knicks owner] Mr. [James] Dolan a lot of credit for coming out of his pocket. And now it’s our job to figure out how to use this group,” said new head coach Mike Brown after practice Wednesday at the team’s Tarrytown facility. “Knowing that you have guys you can throw into the game at any time is exciting.
“Adversity is inevitable throughout the course of the year, and part of adversity is injuries — knock on wood. So to have veteran guys that have been there and done that at your disposal makes it a lot of fun for a coach.
“Now it’s my job to spend time — and it’s going to take some time — finding the right combinations to put out there on any given night.”
MORE THAN JUST A BUCKET
Clarkson’s résumé speaks for itself.
He’s averaged 16 points per game across a decade in the league and has a Sixth Man trophy to prove it. The Knicks’ bench, on the other hand, averaged just 21.7 points per game last season — five fewer than the 29th-ranked Lakers and nearly 20 short of the league’s top-five benches.
In fact, Knicks bench players scored 20 or more points just three times all season: once by Miles McBride and twice by Shamet. Clarkson? He hit that mark 12 times last year in Utah, 22 the year prior and over 25 times in 2022-23.
It’s a logical fit: team lacking bench scoring adds arguably the best bench scorer in the NBA. Clarkson said he’s going to ease into his shot selection at the beginning of the season.
“But definitely I feel like down the line, all the guys know throw it to me and [the ball is] going in the air,” he said with a laugh. “The majority of time, I feel like I’m open, but that comes with a grain of salt: I’ve gotta take good shots, play the right way as well.”
Clarkson’s instincts may lean toward instant offense, but he’s committed to playing within the team framework.
“It sounds like [a perfect fit scoring off the bench], but I’m just coming in here playing my role. Whatever coach needs me to do, I’m here,” he said. “Some of that is scoring off the bench, but I have a lot of other areas where I have to pick up defensively, communication-wise to help this team win.”
Brown sees more than just a microwave scorer in Clarkson. He sees a complete player, and it’s the coach’s job to maximize his player’s skill set.
“His versatility offensively. He moves well without the basketball, he can handle the basketball, he can pass the basketball. He can score from all three levels. He’s got a craftiness to him,” said Brown. “He’s much appreciated. I think he averages a little over two assists per game. So a guy who averages a little over two assists, especially when he’s coming off the bench, that means he knows how to play the game, and he’s not just scoring. That’s what I like about it.”
MAKING THE MOST OF THE MOMENT
If Clarkson’s path has been steady, Yabusele’s has been anything but.
Drafted 16th overall by Boston in 2016, Yabusele was cut after just two seasons and spent years rebuilding his game overseas. He reemerged in the 2024 Olympics as a key big man for Team France and averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds on 38% shooting from deep with the Sixers last season — before landing a two-year deal worth over $11 million with the Knicks this summer.
“When you get drafted and ‘don’t make it,’ it can do a lot of things to you, mentally. It can make you say, ‘Hey, screw the NBA. I’m good, I don’t even want to come back.’ Or it can make you say, ‘You know what? I’m an NBA player. I’m going to go do what I need to do so I can get back. And when I get back I’m going to be there for as long as I want to be there,’” said Brown. “And seeing that process tells you a lot about him as a person. That’s the competitive spirit, competitive nature, that I’m looking for when it comes to playing or being a New York Knick.”
Yabusele said he had one other serious NBA offer this offseason — but joining the Knicks was an easy call. There’s a clear need for size in the front court behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks filled it with their French forward.
“I just like the team, the spirit that they have on the court, the way that they were playing tough on every possession,” he said. “They were really playing together. You can really tell they were bonding together and they had a goal together. I liked it. They just fight on the court.”
Yabusele joined the Sixers last year expecting a playoff run alongside Joel Embiid and Paul George. Instead, both stars missed significant time, and Philly tanked to the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Like Clarkson, Yabusele is hungry to be back in meaningful basketball games.
“For sure. What [the Knicks] did last year was awesome. Everybody got to watch it. I was really watching the series, especially against Indiana. I really think they gave everything out there, it was fun to watch,” he said. “So for sure, coming in here I’m telling myself I’m just trying to give my best on the court and try to help the team win as much as possible, step by step.”
Brown values Yabusele for his versatility just as much as his toughness. He can guard and stretch at the four, bang at the five and adapt to any rotation configuration. More depth means more options, and more options could give the Knicks a better shot to make the NBA Finals for the first time in over 25 years.
“At his size, he knows he has to be versatile in this game to survive and not just offensively, but defensively, too,” said Brown. “Philly had a lot of injuries, so he got a lot of minutes and he even expanded his game more than what it was when he was overseas. Now coming to us, he’s going to feel real comfortable within whatever role we give him because he’s done it [all before].”
