Jordan Clarkson: Steal of the Century
If there is anything enjoyable to watch during the Los Angeles Lakers’ down season, it is definitely the growth and improvement of their rookie combo guard: Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson, who is fresh from a 20-point, six-rebound and four-assist effort in the Lakers’ 105-120 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been pretty amazing for Head Coach Byron Scott this season.
The 22-year-old Missouri product, who was drafted 46th overall last year by Washington and was then traded to LA for money, has shown good attacking instincts. He can rip defenses with explosive slashes or find open teammates during fastbreaks or halfcourt sets.
Since winning one of the starting guard spots of the Lakers, the former Tulsa standout has averaged good numbers, putting up 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 31.2 minutes of action per night. And to the delight of all Laker fans worldwide, he is yet to reach the peak of his overall talent.
True, Julius Randle, the 7th overall pick of last year’s draft, is Los Angeles’ prized rookie. But with the Kentucky standout missing the season with a broken leg, it is Clarkson who is catching the eyes of basketball junkies.
We are not saying that Clarkson can be held on the same level as other guards like Oklahoma’s Russell Westbrook or Golden State’s Steph Curry. But we are saying that the potential is there, and many teams that have the need for a good scoring guard might have missed it.
In fact, LA’s superstar Kobe Bryant, who is out of the season because of a torn rotator cuff, said that Clarkson is the ‘Steal of the Year’, since they were able to get a good young player in exchange for little cash.
And to explain why Bryant is praiseful of Clarkson: they have identical mindsets and have produced relatively similar numbers during the same level of their careers. For the season, Clarkson is averaging 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17.5 minutes per match. Compare that to Kobe’s 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.5 minutes during his rookie season back in 1997 and you will have almost twin statlines!
We do not like over-hyping players, especially the young and inefficient ones like Clarkson, who is shooting 40% from the field and a terrible 26% from the arc. But we like recognizing players with heart. In terms of playing the game for fun, for improvement and for winning, we know that (Michael) Jordan Clarkson is the real deal.