Matching up against the San Antonio Spurs in Round 1, the Lakers will have their hands full trying to contain a lethal offensive attack that ranked seventh in the NBA in points per 100 possessions (108.3) and sixth in pace (94.2), according to Basketball-Reference.
One way to shore up the Laker defense? Give Earl Clark the bulk of the minutes as the team's sixth man.
Yes, Clark only averaged 7.3 points per game during the regular season on 44 percent shooting (33.7 percent from three), but he's a significant upgrade on the defensive end over Antawn Jamison.
If the Lakers hope to have any chance of keeping pace with the Spurs, they'll need to tighten the screws on defense, particularly in transition.
According to Basketball-Reference, Clark finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 105, the second-best mark among players who topped 1,000 minutes for the Lakers.
Jamison, on the other hand, allowed 108 points per 100 possessions and is notorious for getting lazy in his treks up and down the floor.
Clark proved throughout the regular season that he can shoulder some of the offensive burden for the Lakers. He averaged 10.9 points per game over 13 starts in the month of February. However, Clark's most efficient 31-day stretch came one month prior, when he shot a lights-out 49.6 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three in January en route to 10.3 points per game.
With Kobe Bryant out, the Lakers need an athletic wing who can create off the dribble and off the catch, and Clark's shown the ability to do both throughout the regular season.
Now that Jodie Meeks has taken over as L.A.'s starting 2-guard, the Lakers are not only smaller on the wing, but less athletic.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
