Lakers News: What Clarkson’s Injury Means for Russell

If being demolished by the Golden State Warriors in Thursday night’s preseason finale wasn’t enough, to add insult to injury, the Lakers also lost second year combo guard, Jordan Clarkson, to what is being called a “sprained right shoulder.”

After the game, Clarkson went on to reveal that he had been having shoulder pain earlier in the week but still decided to give it a go. This is an interesting development considering Coach Byron Scott and GM Mitch Kupchak’s desire to merely stay healthy.

The stinging irony lie in the fact that two of the four goals Kupchak laid out — to stay healthy, for Kobe Bryant to have a good year, for the youth to show their potential, for Roy Hibbert to return to All-Star form — have already fallen to the wayside.

Despite Clarkson’s instance that he thinks it is just a minor injury, Lakers’ trainer Gary Vitti revealed that his shoulder, “came out and went back in,” which is never a good thing.

Clarkson is scheduled to have an MRI this morning, so updates will be provided as they are available. Regardless of the severity, the injury signals many things.

In his post game interview, D’Angelo Russell summed it up best when asked about what Clarkson’s injury meant specifically in regards to him. “Got to mature very fast. Got to stay in the film room, just keep chipping away at being the best I could possibly be… so early, like I said, mature very quick.”

This is cause for concern because in his Media Day interview he laid out his modus operandi as one which requires patience. This makes sense when considering his demeanor and style of play.

"I always have trouble figuring it out early but as the season progresses I kinda figure it out. In college being a combo guard is tough — knowing when to get guys involved and knowing when to score. And as the season went along I started to figure it out. At this level I feel like it’s going to be the same."

One positive take away from Clarkson’s injury is that, if Clarkson misses actual time, Russell will get to run the first unit by himself. This will prove to be an invaluable time for Russell’s development.

As referenced previously, a higher rookie usage rating, which also correlates to total turnovers, greatly increases a player’s development. At this point in his career, D’Angelo Russell is most deadly with the ball in his hands, and that’s exactly what this opportunity presents: a chance for him to get back to his roots.

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Once Russell develops a steady catch-and-shoot shot, the Lakers will be able to run him off ball like the Warriors do with Stephen Curry, but for now the focus should be orchestrating an offense.

Clarkson’s injury, should it prove serious, signals that Nick Young or Anthony Brown would enter the starting unit, making for a more traditional starting line-up.

More importantly, their insertion means the floor gets spread, providing Russell with not only more room to operate, but more shooters to target.

So far, Russell has demonstrated his “calm under duress,” as referenced by Bryant, but he has yet to showcase his “Mamba Mentality,” or killer instinct. That said, this time will definitely give fans a preview at what D’Angelo Russell the player is really about.

The Lakers drafted Russell with the hope that he would one day grown into his potential. Though it seems that day has come earlier than expected, hopefully Russell can “kinda figure it out,” quicker than he’s put off.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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