Jordan Clarkson, Xavier Henry shine in D-League appearance

In their one-game appearance with the Lakers NBA D-League affiliated LA D-Fenders, both Jordan Clarkson and Xavier Henry shone bright.

Clarkson finished with 28 points on 8 of 20 shooting from the field and 10 for 10 shooting at the line, while adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists. His counterpart, Henry, ended with a game-high 33 points on a more efficient 12 of 20 performance from the field and 6 of 7 from the line.

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The duo were sent down to the D-League in order to get some playing time and hopefully develop a flow for the game that can carry over into NBA games. With the D-League games taking place in the Lakers practice facility, this was a very convenient opportunity for both Clarkson and Henry. Both players will be back on the Lakers roster for the game against Golden State on Sunday.

The rookie Clarkson was the more attacking of the two in the first half, finishing with 20 points through the first two quarters. As opposed to NBA games, Clarkson looked for his jump shot more, taking four three-point attempts in 37 minutes. However, that isn’t to say the Missouri-product settled for jumpers, as he still attacked the rim with his relentlessness and fearlessness.

Henry’s stint in the D-League was a result of the injuries he suffered in the preseason, keeping him out of action during most of training camp. In need of minutes to get his feel for the game back, Henry played 36 minutes himself. He really came alive in the second half, hitting back-to-back threes and a jumper in successive possessions at one point in the third quarter. In total, he went 3 for 6 from behind the arc and seemed to regain rhythm to his jumper.

This will hopefully jump start both players and give them a renewed chance at playing time and cracking into the rotation. In his limited minutes over the weekend in light of Ronnie Price‘s suspension, Clarkson did a lot of things right and may be finally seeing minutes.