This is not meant to say that, given the opportunity, they shouldn't pluck either point guard Emmanuel Mudiay or shooting guard D'Angelo Russell in the upcoming NBA draft. The Lakers might even consider drafting UCLA's athletic Norman Powell with their second first-round pick.
But, there are a couple of young Lakers making a lot of noise right now who deserve a long look for big future roles with the team come training camp next fall.
One year removed from the University of Missouri, former college teammates Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown could never have predicted they’d be sharing the backcourt again a year later as professionals playing for one of the game's iconic franchises.
Though it’s been just 24 games for Clarkson as the starting point guard and only four for Brown at the 2 position, their sheer energy, athleticism and raw talent have some thinking they might stick around Lakers Nation for awhile.
After an outstanding summer league season, Clarkson made the Lakers roster in October but mostly sat on the bench for the first half of the season. It wasn't until January 23, with the team obviously going nowhere, that head coach Byron Scott finally inserted the former Tiger into the starting lineup.
With the Lakers descending further and further into the league's black hole of futility, Scott felt it was time to give the 6’5” Clarkson an opportunity to run the point and see if he had a future with the Purple and Gold.
Not only has Clarkson surpassed expectations, he probably has also been the Lakers' best player over the last 24 games. Mr. Steady is averaging 14 points in 30 minutes and continually showing improvements on both ends of the floor, especially defense....
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
