Los Angeles Lakers: Trusting Jordan Clarkson

It was about time that the Los Angeles Lakers gave up on any hope of being a competitive team this season. The roster just doesn’t have the talent, especially since the team plays in the best conference out West.

To compound these factors, Kobe Bryant will not return this season after undergoing surgery to repair his torn right rotator cuff. The only thing left for the front office to do is look around at what the team has on board. It’s time to ready the future, and that decision places eyes squarely on rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson.

With Jeremy Lin already losing minutes and Ronnie Price’s limited production, sliding Clarkson into the starting lineup has not been an issue in Los Angeles. Byron Scott shows trust in his rookie point guard and is living with some of the lumps that he will take. As the minutes rise for Clarkson, so has the competition in his increased time.

Matchups with Tony Parker, Patrick Beverly, John Wall and Derrick Rose epitomize a point guard gauntlet, and this is the fire which Clarkson was tossed in. To his credit, the rookie performed well enough to exhibit his potential. In his four starts, Clarkson posted double-digits in three of the games (averaging 13.7 points per game).

The Lakers have gone 1-3 over the stretch, but Clarkson showed some great promise. Clarkson finished the last two contests with back-to-back 18-point performances, career-highs on the year.

The most impressive phases of Clarkson’s game have to include his athleticism. While not being a household name like Russell Westbrook, Clarkson exhibits similar explosion and burst. In his head-to-head matchup with John Wall, Clarkson was able to show his ability to turn the corner, and took flight for a thunderous dunk.

Not only was he able to use his gifts to get to the rim, but Clarkson pushes the pace in transition. The game also included him gathering a rebound, blowing my defenders up the court, and dishing a no-look pass for a Jordan Hill slam.

Fans also have to be impressed with his fearlessness. Even in his first start, he comfortably attacked the San Antonio Spurs defense. Clarkson carried his efforts into games against the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls, two of the league’s best defensive teams.

Clarkson will likely start the next 10 games and beyond, learning nuances and adjusting to a full-time point guard. While he does excel at getting to the rim, Clarkson still must learn to comfortably run the team’s offense. These kinds of things can come from increased playing time. Clarkson must continue to play without hesitation and take the most efficient shot as possible.

These next few games could very well allow the Lakers to take the right steps in the summer. If Clarkson can emerge as a worthy starter at point guard, it could mean one less position for the team to fill in both the draft and free agency. These games certainly will give fans the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a name that should be around for a few years.

Clarkson was a quality pickup from last season’s draft. As we watch his growth, it further supports the theory of hidden talent deep into the second round. The Lakers are finally embracing talent in youth, and the payoff could be coming soon.

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