Lakers: Is Jordan Clarkson the Real Rookie of the Year?

According to most experts, Andrew Wiggins, last year’s number one draft pick, is the clear favorite to be voted Rookie-Of-The-Year. In recent weeks, Nerlens Noel of the 76ers, Elfrid Payton of the Magic, and Nikola Miroic of the Bulls, have done their best to make it a contest. However, once Jabari Parker and Julius Randle suffered season-ending injuries, and Joel Emblid was unable to play at all, Wiggins was pretty much a lock for the award. While these players all appear to have bright futures ahead of them, a strong argument could be made that the true Rookie-Of-The-Year this season has been the Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson.

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Consider Clarkson’s last two games against Oklahoma City and Minnesota. Against the Thunder, he had 30 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. Not many rookies this season, or any season, have achieved those numbers. The next night, against the Timberwolves, Clarkson struggled most of the game. However, in the end, when it counted, he was calm. He kept attacking, and he won the game for the Lakers almost by himself in overtime. It came down to Wiggins versus Clarkson in the last few minutes, as no one else was contributing anything for either team. Clarkson prevailed.

Unlike his rookie peers who played solid minutes all season, in a colossal example of ineptitude by the coaching staff and front office, Clarkson did not really play the first half of the season. The team apparently thought it was better to start journeyman Ronnie Price, with Jeremy Lin in reserve and Clarkson on the bench. Clarkson was, and still is to a degree, unknown even to other players.

Recently Clarkson was having a strong game against the Memphis Grizzles. Afterwards, it was reported that in the middle of the game, when Clarkson was on a tear, Zach Randolph turned to Ed Davis (a former teammate) and asked, “who is that guy?” Clarkson got a very late start, and this is the only reason he is not in the discussion for this season’s best rookie.

Leading up to last year’s draft the team’s biggest weakness was the point guard position. Laker fans were divided over whether they should draft Dante Exum or Marcus Smart. It is very likely the Lakers would have chosen one of them if they were available. However, when the ping pong balls stopped bouncing, the Lakers were assigned the number seven choice. Exum went fourth to Utah and Smart was drafted sixth by Boston.

It is ironic, because if you have seen them play this year, you know that Clarkson has outperformed them both and would appear to have greater potential going forward. Payton is the only rookie point guard who could be compared to Clarkson, but Clarkson has more offensive skills than Payton.

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When the Lakers drafted Clarkson in the middle of the second round, most fans had no idea who he was. The team was scheduled to have one pick in the draft, which they used on Randle, so no one expected there would even be a second round selection. It was curious that the team was willing to pay nearly $2,000,000 cash to secure a draft choice. That is a lot of money to pay for the privilege of drafting a largely unknown rookie in the second round. Players chosen in that position are not guaranteed to make the roster once the season starts.

In the summer league, he was exciting and showed promise. But the summer league is the summer league. When preseason started, he had a partially guaranteed contract. More importantly, on the floor, he looked over-matched and played out of control.

When the season started, he was planted firmly on the bench. Many games he did not play at all. When he did, it was only for a few minutes here and there. He would make a mistake and Byron Scott would pull him out quickly. Clarkson was still out of control. He would over-dribble until the clock ran out. He didn’t show much skill at ball handling or passing. There did not appear to be any evidence that he could play point guard in the NBA. By January, the preseason excitement over Clarkson’s prospects had dimmed considerably.

Then, suddenly, on January 23, 2015, a mere two months ago, not only did Scott decide Clarkson should play, he decided Clarkson should start. Clarkson found himself facing the tough Western Conference point guards, and while he struggled at times, he did not back down.

That is one thing about Clarkson, he keeps attacking even when things are not going his way. In post-game interviews, he is never satisfied with how he played, and it is very clear that no matter his success this season, he is going to work very hard this summer to improve his game. Once given a chance, he started playing with more confidence.

His improvement was rapid. His athleticism is impressive. He is fast. He can leap. Very soon, the shots he was missing were going in. He is an improved ball handler and passer, and on the fast break he has become a killer. He is strong on the offensive boards. At least once a game he makes a spectacular shot at the rim off a missed shot. In short, not only has Clarkson proven to be a better scorer than many believed, his rebounds and assists have risen steadily.

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Despite Clarkson’s rapid improvement as a point guard, and seemingly endless potential, his future with the Lakers – if he even has one — is very unclear. Some still think he would make a better shooting guard (a dead-end position as long as Kobe Bryant is on the team). Others consider him more of a reserve than a starter on a good team.

There are reports that the team covets top point guards in the upcoming draft, who this year may be within their reach. Likewise, the team is said to be interested in free agents Goran Dragic and Rajon Rondo. Clarkson is still a work in progress, so the question is will the Lakers, in their haste to rebound from two (arguably three) horrible years, have the patience to give Clarkson time to fully mature?

The Lakers’ season will mercifully be over soon, but if his recent play is any indication, Clarkson still has time to provide fans with a few more thrills. What the future holds in store for him when the season ends — and for that matter the fate of all the players on this season’s roster — is anyone’s guess. It will likely be determined by who the Lakers are able to draft and who they can sign in free agency. Two months ago I questioned whether Clarkson could play point guard in this league. Now, the only question in my mind is whose jersey will he be wearing while he is playing that position.

Next: Jordan Clarkson's Free Throws Wins it For Lakers

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