The good news is the second-round draft pick has finally been thrown into the competitive fire in order to grow and develop during a woeful season.
And perhaps the other good news is the Lakers will lose a lot more games in the process, thus increasing their chances of a prime draft pick in June, to pair with Clarkson and the rehabbing Julius Randle.
The trick is making sure the impressionable speedster keeps up with a steep learning curve and that he doesn’t become overwhelmed by the relentless beatdowns.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News recently wrote about the competition that Clarkson has been facing and his coach’s cognizance of the developmental challenge.
“I didn’t do him any favors by throwing him in the fire by going up against teams he played against and some of the point guards he had to face,” said Byron Scott. “But he held his own. That’s obviously a great sign for us and for him. I want him to continue to develop and take the challenge.”
The Lakers paid $1.8 million to the Washington Wizards on draft night for their No. 46 pick and selected Clarkson. The Texas native played both guard positions for two seasons at Tulsa before transferring to Missouri where he started at the point, averaging 17.5 points per game.
There were positional questions about Clarkson for the first half of his rookie campaign—he contributed limited minutes as a 2-guard, and he also played five games with the Lakers’ D-league team, the D-Fenders.
But since Jan. 23 in a losing effort against the San Antonio Spurs, the 6’5” guard has been thrust into the starting lineup. There has been one win and seven los...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
