Jordan Clarkson. Photo by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net
Despite coming off the bench during the Los Angeles Lakers season opener on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), Jordan Clarkson served as the catalyst for the team’s impressive 120-114 victory over a very tough Houston Rockets team.
Now entering his third NBA season, the Filipino-American guard, who started 79 games last year, said he does not mind the new designation assigned by head coach Luke Walton.
“I’m comfortable with the role I’m in. I’m getting starter minutes, so it’s a good process for me,” the 24-year old swingman told the LA Times.
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“It’s a little different, but to me it’s just, I’m helping another unit. Just helping the team, to be honest with you,” Clarkson said, whose team-high 25 points—including 12 in the final frame—led to the team’s comeback win.
He also praised the team’s efforts of feeding him the ball, especially during the game’s dying seconds.
“Teammates kept going to me, Coach was calling plays for me. I just kept continuing to score,” he said.
Walton, meanwhile, was appreciative of the young man’s willingness to embrace the six-man role, which oftentimes do not seem appealing to young talented players.
“He’s been absolutely great,” Walton was quoted as saying in the report. “I’ve talked to him about starting or coming off the bench; he’s been good with both. It’s nice to have guys like that on your team.”
As the elder statesman among the team’s young nucleus of Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers management are relying on Clarkson to lead the charge as they enter the so called post-Kobe era.
Prior to the start of the season, the team rewarded his efforts with a four-year $50 million contract. Khristian Ibarrola