Jordan Clarkson, is he the next Nick Van Exel?

Looking back at the Laker draft picks at the guard slot, the Lakers haven’t reaped much benefit.  Jordan Farmar has had a solid NBA career, but he didn’t earn a starting spot over Derek Fisher several years into the league.  Sasha Vujacic is playing in Italy now. Javaris Crittenton, while talented, got caught up in off-court issues.   The more recent draft picks of Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock just didn’t stick.

Jordan Clarkson is different.  He had a great week at the Vegas Pro League.  He’s off to a great start.

There are some similarities between Clarkson and Nick Van Exel.  Both players are natural scorers.  Both players came out of college as developing point guards.  Both players are streaky shooters from the perimeter.  Both players are highly emotional on the court.

Nick Van Exel played with a flair and energy early on as a Laker player.  There was always a bounce to his step.  He played with swagger.  During the mid-1990’s, he was their clutch player.  While he wasn’t the most efficient shooter from the field, he did use his quickness and ball-handling ability to create jump shots from the perimeter.  It seemed that more often than not, he’d hit those shots when the Lakers needed it.

Jordan Clarkson, played with an unmatched level of energy at the Vegas Pro League. There were times where he would force the issue attacking the basket and come out successful.  He maintained that level of play all week long.  His debut game came out as a huge surprise.  Think previous Laker rookies had a 21-point game from the get-go?  Think they averaged double-digit points for the rest of the week?

It’s fair to say that the Vegas Pro League isn’t NBA-ready competition.  Vegas Pro League teams have a handful of NBA players at the most.  What is important is for a player to display his talent, show confidence on the floor, keep his head up, and play with energy. Jordan Clarkson put all that on display.  Offensive talent isn’t the only NBA-translatable skill.  Character counts as well.  Derek Fisher made an entire career based on it.

Jordan Clarkson has plenty to work on.  While he has excellent height and length for a point guard, he could be stronger.  His assist-to-turnover ratio was abysmal during the Vegas Pro League.  He often had plays where he forced the issue instead of hitting the open man in the corner.  He doesn’t always make the best of his physical talent on the defensive end.

Both Nick Van Exel and Jordan Clarkson are mid-second round picks.  Nick Van Exel played like he had something to prove every night.  Jordan Clarkson has the same attitude.

Jeremy Lin may get the majority of the minutes for the Lakers.  Steve Nash can hopefully contribute consistent minutes.  Jordan Clarkson is the talent with something to prove.

That’s the kind of attitude that develops players faster than originally thought, exceeds expectations, and beats the odds.  Nick Van Exel made it to the All-Star game as a second round pick.

Do you think Jordan Clarkson can get eventually get there too?  Please leave comments below.