Lakers: Breaking Down Jordan Clarkson’s Offensive Strengths (Video)
Here’s our video original breakdown of the Lakers’ second year guard, Jordan Clarkson‘s, offensive strengths
Coming off of an improbable rookie year that saw him garner a spot on the All-Rookie First Team lineup, Los Angeles Lakers’ guard, Jordan Clarkson, continued to show improvement in his second year for the Purple and Gold.
Averaging 17.3 points per game on a relatively efficient 43.3 percent shooting, Clarkson showed that he has the ability to man down the starting shooting guard spot for the foreseeable future.
When probing his offensive game this year, I was able to categorize his strengths into three categories: attacking the rim, spot-up shooting, and creating off the dribble.
Similar to his rookie year, Clarkson showed a predilection for attacking the rim, displaying a relentless motor that ultimately lead to his throwing down of some monstrous dunks.
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While Clarkson’s athleticism was quickly on display, his ability to shoot the ball with any consistency was questioned by critics and fans alike.
Rising to the challenge, Clarkson showed improvement as a spot-up shooter from behind the three point line this season, which is encouraging news for a team that will likely employ D’Angelo Russell as the lead ball-handling guard going forward.
Indeed, more than 75 percent of Clarkson’s three point makes were assisted, a mark that speaks to his development as an off-ball player.
Finally, Clarkson flashed the ability to create his own shots, an added benefit that renders him a more complete scorer. Though isolations are not necessarily the preferred way to score anymore in a league that rewards ball movement, Clarkson proved that he can be counted on to score even without the assistance of a teammate.
By all indications, Jordan Clarkson was the steal of the 2014 draft, and has made a name for himself as an aggressive, smart basketball player. While his defense and overall playmaking abilities definitely need refinement, it is encouraging to see a player of his age showcase precocious scoring ability.
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If he continues on this upward track, Clarkson may very well become an All-Star caliber player at some point in his career.