This is the first time in awhile that Los Angeles Lakers fans will have nothing to cheer about over All-star weekend. Kobe Bryant was voted in as a starter but obviously cannot play due to a season-ending injury. Yes, it would be fun to watch Nick Young in the three point shootout. But, there is no possible argument that could be made that the Lakers should have a player make an appearance in the entertaining weekend, except maybe the Rising Stars game.
I still remember when it was 2010 and Shannon Brown appeared in the dunk contest. Although he did not do well, it gave Laker Nation something to get hyped about. Now, all we can do is hope that no Clippers players win any awards, and I guess, cheer for the Western Conference?
With nothing to discuss regarding ASG weekend, let’s look at some bold predictions for the rest of the season.
Jordan Clarkson will make the All-NBA Rookie First Team
I’m starting out with a positive one because Clarkson has been the only bright spot this season. Ever since Bryant went down, the Lakers went into full tanking mode. They also started to focus on their future, playing their young guys over players such as Ronnie Price and Wesley Johnson. Clarkson has benefited from this more than anyone and is showing that he has a future as a Laker.
Clarkson has averaged the second most points among all rookie’s since January 1st and is also second in free throws made per game. There is no doubt that Clarkson’s productivity is deserving of some recognition.
When it comes to All-rookie teams, positions are meaningless. That being said, I believe that Andrew Wiggins and Jusuf Nurkic will be locks for the first team, leaving three more spots left (unless there is a tie in the voting, in which more than five players can make the first team). Some may say Clarkson plays on a bad team and gets a heavy dose of minutes but I also think that by the end of the year Clarkson will have an impressive stat line. Clarkson could finish the year with an average of 12-14 points per game, if he continues to develop his jumper and get to the rim.
Some players Clarkson will be competing against for a spot will be Marcus Smart, Elfrid Payton, Nikola Mirotic, and K.J. McDaniels.
The Lakers will win just one more game
This prediction may not be that “bold” as the Lakers are looking like the league’s most untalented team. Their starting lineup is much worse than that of the 76ers or the Timberwolves (who are loaded with young talent). The Lakers play both the Timberwolves and 76ers twice, one at home for each and one of the road. Besides that, I would not give the Lakers any chance to win a majority of their games.
However, every team has their hot games and against Orlando and Denver the Lakers were in it the whole game but it was clear that the game was lost on purpose. The Lakers led by as much as ten points against the Nuggets but ended up losing by ten.
As Jahil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell continue to dominate college basketball, the idea of a top three draft pick gets more and more exciting. As of right now, Okafor seems like the top prospect, but ending up with a talented guard as Russell would also be satisfying.
No Trades will be made
Trade rumors have been quite active recently, especially involving Ed Davis, Jordan Hill, and Jeremy Lin.
After gaining some high trade value in the first few months of the season, Davis had a rough January. His 20-point performance against Memphis to start off the month aside, he’s struggled to put up consistent numbers. Davis has picked it up as of late, averaging 8.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in February.
There are plenty of teams that are in need of a back up big man (cough, cough Cavs), that can protect the paint and lead a second unit on the defensive end. However, most teams interested in Davis are playoff teams so expiring contracts won’t be very attractive to them. Davis can opt out of his two year, two million dollar contract this summer, which is highly likely. I don’t think teams will give the Lakers much for a player that will end up leaving after half a season.
Before suffering a hip injury against New York a few games ago, Hill had arguably his best game of his career. Hill put up 26 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks against the Chicago Bulls, leading the Lakers to their best win of the season. There is no doubt that teams are interested in Hill, as his jumper and relentless rebounding can make him a perfect role player for any team.
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Most of the teams (Cavs, Raptors) that are interested in Hill are just trying to improve their front court depth. Plus, the Lakers should not just give Hill away. Hill has become a very solid center in this league, and hopefully next year the Lakers can ink him up at a fair price long-term.
Jeremy Lin is in a different scenario. This has been a terrible season for him, and his NBA future is a bit of a question mark. Some blame the coach, or the situation he was put in, but Lin is not at the level as most other point guards in the league. Even back up point guards can either shoot well, play defense, or make smart plays. Lin really doesn’t do any of these things too well, and putting Lin next to another wing star has proven to be a disaster.
As painful it is to watch this Lakers roster, expect to see the exact same team post trade deadline.