Jordan Clarkson Poised to Become Breakout Star in 2016-17 NBA Season: Can Point Guard Take Over Kobe Bryant's Throne in Los Angeles Lakers?
Jordan Clarkson has been training very hard for the 2016-17 NBA season, which was touted by some sports analysts as his breakout season. As early as now, the 24-year-old point guard is already showing a lot of potential to be the future superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers in the post-Kobe Bryant era.
The Rough Start
Per Lakers Nation, Clarkson has already suffered some difficult twists and turns in his young NBA career. The Filipino-American point guard had a rough start two years ago as the 46th overall pick in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, where he was later traded to the Lakers.
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As a mid-second round draft choice, Clarkson was not expected to excel much in the court and was not allowed to play in most of the first half of his rookie season. However, in the middle of the season, he was given the opportunity to play as a point guard and he took full advantage of it to show his basketball talents.
The Rising Star
According to ESPN, Clarkson, who signed a four-year $50-million deal with the Lakers last month, is now considered as one of the team's most important players. The rising NBA star has been lauded for being a steady scorer and for showing a lot promise amid the poor performance of the Lakers as a team.
Last season, Clarkson made an impressive average of 15.5 points per game, the second on the team behind Bryant. The smooth-shooting San Antonio native also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while improving his accuracy from 31.4 percent in 2015 to 34.7 percent in 2016.
Is Clarkson the Successor of Bryant?
In the past months, Clarkson has been training hard to prepare for the 2016-17 NBA season. A Twitter video shared by Pure Sweat trainer Drew Hanlen showed the rising NBA star improving his three-point shooting efficiency. In another video, Clarkson can be seen showcasing his enhanced speed and skills in ball handling.
With Bryant's retirement, Clarkson and the rest of his teammates have bigger responsibilities to take. In an interview with Hype Beast, Clarkson said that the team will surely miss Bryant's presence, but he is confident that they will get through with it.
He shared that Bryant advised them to continue working hard together. He also added that the NBA legend told them to keep moving forward and stick with the team as they grow older in the league.
Sportsrageous commented that there is nothing to expect much from the Lakers in the next season considering that the team is mainly made up of young players. However, with Clarkson working hard to further develop his skills, there is a big possibility that he will take over Mamba's throne and become the new face of the franchise.
