Lakers: Can Earl Clark Save the Team? (video)
By Mike Garcia
Earl Clark was a Laker a couple of seasons ago. No one remembers him during the first half of the 2012 season as a Laker. However, entering the 2013 year, he was a changed player.
Earl Clark had a breakout game of 22 points and 13 rebounds. He showed glimpses of three-point range, playmaking ability, and aggression to attack the basket. He had his best game against a rival within the conference, the San Antonio Spurs.
Although the Lakers eventually lost the game, the Lakers found their future stretch-four. Dwight Howard needed the spacing and Pau Gasol couldn’t do that. Earl Clark could. He showed why he was drafted just outside the lottery, but had the triple threat skills of a small forward, with the defensive rebounding ability of a power forward.
He left as a free agent to the Cleveland Cavaliers, on a two-year deal worth $9 million. The Laker fanbase wanted to keep him, but the organization made the better decision. After a career year for Clark, on 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 23 minutes of play on 44% from the field, he fizzled out. He didn’t reach the same success in Cleveland.
Through four games, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game on 45% from the field.
While the numbers are eye-popping, the offensively-oriented D-League tends to inflate statistics. The Lakers gave Manny Harris a stint last year after back-to-back games of 49 or more points. He stuck it out for a couple weeks.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Earl Clark has the talent to give what the Lakers need. The Lakers truly lack offensive scoring in the front-line. Carlos Boozer has been inconsistent. Wesley Johnson and Ed Davis aren’t shot creators. In fact, the most aggressive front-court player for the Lakers is Robert Sacre. Sure, he’ll take a few bad shots, but at least he’s trying to get points on the board.
Earl Clark has the physical abilities and skill level to be a starter on the NBA level. Guys that are 6’10” with the ability to run the floor and have triple threat skills don’t come around often. It’s on Earl Clark to show his drive and make a career of staying on an NBA roster.
He had his chance once on a team full of stars. Now, he has a chance to be a star of his own. It’s up to him to take it.