Why Los Angeles Lakers Can't Afford to Overlook What Jordan Clarkson Brings
This is going to be a weird year for the Los Angeles Lakers. With a veteran lineup, they're built to win now, but not really—not in a brutal Western Conference.
And they're not bad enough to tank for the 2015 top-five protected pick they owe the Phoenix Suns.
With next summer's free-agent market expected to be hot, the Lakers added the best one-year rental players they could get to fill their roster—guys whose contracts expire after the season so management can re-up with better, more expensive players for 2015-16.
Newcomers Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer should help the Lakers win now—but not really.
In what's likely to end up being another lost year, the Lakers need to focus more of their attention to the younger guys on the team.
There aren't many. And Julius Randle should be locked into rookie minutes regardless, given the Lakers' lack of athleticism and firepower up front.
I'm specifically talking about 2014 second-round pick Jordan Clarkson, whom many scouts had pegged as a first-round pick just prior to the draft.
Outside of Randle, there isn't anyone else on the team with any upside left in the tank. While most of the guys have either plateaued or are on the decline, Clarkson still has room to grow and a fairly high ceiling to chase.
At 6'5", he combines size, athleticism and ball-handling skills—a blend that has the potential to spell mismatch later on.
It stood out at Missouri this past season and carried over into Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 15.8 points per game.
Clarkson has apparently generated some buzz within the Lakers organization, according to Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times:
"Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson will both come off the bench to start the season, but some within the Lakers' organization actually think Clarkson, the second-round pick, will have a bigger impact of the rookies.
The 46th overall selection had a great off-season and impressed Lakers coaches at the Las Vegas summer league. One team insider thinks Clarkson could push for the starting job at point guard later in the season.
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Clarkson isn't a pure point guard, but he did most of the ball-handling and playmaking for Missouri last year. Among those drafted this past June, he ranked No. 5 at the position by scoring .92 points per possession out of pick-and-rolls, per DraftExpress' Matt Kamalsky, while his ability to get to the rim (only Elfrid Payton got there more) resulted in routine drive-and-dishes.
“Playmaker. A guy that makes plays," Clarkson said when asked during Lakers media day how he views himself (via Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com). "I can score the ball. I can pass. Just try to do a little bit of everything."
Maybe grooming Clarkson for the role of the team's starting point guard of the future is somewhat unrealistic, but it can't hurt to throw him out there and see what he can do—especially in 2014-15, when the Lakers won't be expected to compete for either the postseason or a lottery position.
Clarkson's ceiling, and ultimately his natural NBA position, are both debatable, but throw away the labels for a minute. Whether you see him as a point guard, a combo or a scorer, Clarkson has the chance to evolve into a dangerous backcourt weapon—a guy who can generate offense with the ball and knock down shots while playing off it.
And the Lakers need weapons, particularly cheap ones, assuming they'll try and build this team with high-priced free agents next summer. There's tremendous value attached to contributors who don't take up any cap room.
Looking ahead, the Lakers just don't have any ball-handlers or playmakers under contract after the season. Nash is expected to retire, and Lin will be unrestricted. It would go a long way for this team if it were able to develop Clarkson into a full-time rotation guy by next year.
And Clarkson has all the tools and skills; they just need to be fine-tuned.
Though he shot poorly from downtown his final year at Missouri, something that might have contributed to so many teams passing on him, he did connect on 37.4 percent of his threes in 2012 (at Tulsa, where he transferred from), and he did hit 32 threes and shoot 83.1 percent at the line last season.
Right now, Clarkson is a capable shooter. The only way capable becomes consistent is with more reps and confidence.
In terms of his ability to run an offense, scouts have dogged Clarkson's decision-making with the ball. However, his job at Missouri required him to do a lot more than what the Lakers will need from him. It will be interesting to see how his floor game unfolds in a role that allows him to focus on facilitating.
At this stage, the Lakers have every reason to make Clarkson a part of both their short- and long-term plans.
He's got fresh legs and exciting burst, both of which the Lakers could use in 2014-15. And he's got the upside that the coaching staff should be looking to unlock for the future.
With only two young prospects on the roster, the Lakers can't afford to overlook Clarkson's potential value down the road. They need to make him a priority next year so that he's an asset for them when it matters most.
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