Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (Photo : Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports/ REUTERS)
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to maintain their high interest in exploring the free-agency market for an All-Star caliber point guard this summer, despite the surprising play of rookie playmaker Jordan Clarkson as of late.
In a recent panel debate on Lakers Nation, Ryan Ward of Lakers Examiner believed the Lakers would still make a hard push for an All-Star caliber playmaker this coming offseason because of two reasons: a.) It's still premature to tell if Clarkson can live up to the hype as the team's point guard of the future and b.) Signing an A-list point guard won't hurt Clarkson's development that much because the former Missouri Tiger is flexible to play off-the-ball.
Nathan Kim and Corey Hansford, who were also part of the four-man panelist, also agreed to Ward's opinion, adding that the Lakers' return to title contention would be much faster if they can land the likes of Dragic or Rondo, who are still at the peak of their careers.
On the other side of the coin, Russell Valenzuela stressed that the time is ripe for Clarkson to become the lead playmaker for the Lakers, adding that the rookie's strong performances the past few games only suggest that he's ready to assume a bigger role with the Lakers in future campaigns.
Clarkson, the 46th overall pick out of Missouri, has been on a tear after he was inserted by Bryon Scott into the starting lineup following Kobe Bryant's season-ending injury. Since then, Clarkson turned heads with his sheer athleticism and solid composure at a tender age of 22.
On Monday, Clarkson once again reminded everyone that he's the next big thing in Los Angeles after recording a big double-double, and then hitting a game-winning layup at the buzzer to lift the Lakers to a 113-111 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Arena.
Clarkson put up the best all-around performance of his budding career, as he exploded for 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting along with 11 dimes, 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers in 44 minutes of action (per ESPN) against a very young but talented Sixers team. With the score tied at 111-111, Clarkson scored off a nice assist from Wayne Ellington as the clock expired to finish their five-game road trip with a victory.
