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Lakers: Best and Worst Case Scenario For Jordan Clarkson Next Season

By Jeremy Rucker

Mar 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) runs down court after a three point basket in the second half of the game against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. The Lakers won 107-98. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) runs down court after a three point basket in the second half of the game against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. The Lakers won 107-98. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 23, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) moves to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) moves to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

Worst Case Scenario

Still, there is much more to improving as an NBA player than shooting percentage. Despite his strides as a shooter,  it remains to be seen how he’ll respond to being game-planned for by opposing coaches.

In a worst case scenario, Clarkson regresses as a shooter while remaining a serious liability on the defensive end.

Although Clarkson completely losing his shot seems rather unlikely, it’s the other end of the floor that remains a real concern for the combo guard moving forward. While we can’t  blame him for the Lakers’ horrendous defense as a team, his inability to stay in front of opposing guards definitely took its toll last season.

When JC was off the floor, the Lakers allowed opponents an offensive rating of 107.9, which is awful in it’s own right. But, when Clarkson was in the game, that number ballooned to 113.8. Not to mention, opposing guards shot 44.7 percent against Los Angeles last season, the second worst allowed percentage in the league according to NBA.com.

Of course, its important to emphasize that much of this stemmed from Byron Scott’s complete incompetence in scheming for modern offenses, and his departure can only help Clarkson on this end of the floor.

Next: Jordan Clarkson Shows Off Pull Up Threes (Video)

With so much improvement around him, it’s clear that this is the best situation yet for him to succeed at the professional level. It’s more likely than not that the 24-year-old will continue developing into a serious draft-day steal  and an important part of the Lakers’ future.

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