Is Jordan Clarkson the Lakers' next star?

He was the 46th pick out of Missouri. The Lakers had finally drafted a young, talented, athletic and fierce point guard. As soon as summer league started you could tell Clarkson was going to be special if he put in the work. He's been one of the few bright spots in the Lakers' dreaded season; his development is really the only thing that makes Lakers' games watchable.

When the season started Clarkson did not get the playing time Lakers' fans hoped for. At the time, Head Coach Byron Scott was eyeing a possible 8 seed for the Lakers, in hopes of making the playoffs. Scott decided to play the veteran guards in order to achieve that.  Quickly, things did not pan out. Between team chemistry, injuries and overall talent, the season hopes were fading. Thankfully that meant more time for Jordan Clarkson, whom fans were excited to see.

Since Clarkson has been given the role as the starting point guard and the majority of the minutes, he's steadily improved his play. His point production has continued to increase and become consistent, as well as his defense improving. You can see with his confidence improving he's been more comfortable taking the big shots and taking over games. He has become fearless. It helps when he's playing in the western conference against the best point guards in the league every night. That too has attributed to his increase in development and production.

Recently the Lakers played against the Memphis Grizzles, one of the best teams in the NBA. That night Clarkson had the best game in his young career; putting up 25 points (career high), 4 rebounds and 6 assists. He played so well that the Grizzles were forced to have their best perimeter defender, Tony Allen, to defend him late in the game in order to try and slow down Clarkson. He even caught the attention of Grizzles star power forward Zach Randolph who praised Clarkson via Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops: “That young fellow, he’s going to be good,” he said. “I didn’t even know who he was. I’d never heard of him until tonight. He’s a second-round pick? Who’s evaluating this talent?”

Praise from an all star veteran like Zach Randolph goes to show Clarkson 's talent is being recognized throughout the league. Since the all star break he's made a case for himself to be named to the "All Rookie Team". The rest of this year I will excitedly have a close eye on Clarkson's development and his possible team mates next season. He will be a major factor in their future success.

#BlueCollarSports show 18

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What's the next move for the Los Angeles Lakers?

This Lakers’ season has been one to forget. At this point winning games has become irrelevant. There are only a few short terms goals for the team to focus on in order to improve their future. First would be developing rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson. He’s now the starter and appears to be coming along nicely. Next should be the rehab of injured rookie Julius Randle and the most important goal is losing. Yes, losing.

The Lakers have a top 5 protected pick, meaning if the Lakers get the 5th pick in the draft or better, they’ll be able to keep their pick. For Lakers’ fans rooting for a loss is a tough pill to swallow but losing right now can only benefit their future and possibly immediate future. A top 5 pick can be kept by the Lakers and developed or it can be traded for a star player.

There is also the return of Kobe Bryant, who will likely be in his final season.  With plenty of time for recovery and conditioning, Kobe surely will be hungry to finish out his final season strong. The Lakers also have returning players in Nick Young, Robert Sacre and potentially Jordan Hill if they pick up his team option on his contract. Lastly, Lakers have their cap space; approximately $34 million to spend on new players.

Taking all that in, so far their roster next year will be: Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, Robert Sacre, Jordan Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. Not exactly a great starting point but if Clarkson and Randle emerge as good players, it could actually be a nice start. With cap space available, all of Laker Nation is dying for some all-star talent. There are a few available guys that can be real franchise changers, and with pressure from Lakers fans, management might feel it’s time to make a big move. They might feel obligated to sign above average players for big money that aren’t really worth it.

We can only hope the Lakers spend money and draft wisely so the new talent they bring in can put the Lakers back on the right track.  Lakers fans everywhere should be on their hands and knees they do not over-pay for players like Goran Dragic, Greg Monroe or even Rajon Rondo. The draft will be held on June 25th and will be followed by free agency in July. The opportunity and money is finally there for the Lakers, it will take management to make some smart decisions to get this team turned around, back to its elite stature.