Los Angeles Lakers: 4 young players to keep for the future
By Eric Magana
4. Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG
While he is in a somewhat crowded backcourt, there is no doubt that Jordan Clarkson can play. Clarkson reminds me a bit of Eric Gordon, without the flashy explosion he had in his legs when he first came in. In other words, if he’s not a starter, her can certainly be a future sixth man of the year winner.
While he may be a starter on any team, the role that he has with the Los Angeles Lakers fits him just fine. On a contenting team, Clarkson could be a spark for any bench. Here, he has the keys to the bench offense. The commander of the second unit, if you will. He can play both the 1 and the 2. Lonzo needs a breather? Insert Clarkson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope needs a break? On comes Clarkson.
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On the season, Clarkson is averaging 15.1 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting (35.5 percent from downtown). With the infamous struggles of Lonzo Ball, Clarkson provides a nice spark in the offense when the Lakers just aren’t getting it from the starting backcourt.
The one area that makes Clarkson a liability is on the defensive end. For a 6’5″ guard he doesn’t rebound well, and his overall defense is average at best. If he is able to better himself defensively, Clarkson could become a serious bench threat.
Unfortunately, the Lakers will have a tough time keeping Clarkson around. His $12.5 million salary for next season makes him the least likely to remain of the four young players mentioned. With L.A. chasing the big fish, some big moves will have to happen in order to create the cap space required. Clarkson’s salary alone makes it tough on L.A. and their personnel decisions. A team with title aspirations cannot compete without a decent bench to complement its stars.
Nonetheless, he is a serviceable player who merits more playing time, especially for a Lakers team that could use more backcourt scoring.