The Los Angeles Lakers have a talented young core of players that may help lead the storied franchise into the future. Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell are three of the most promising of that young core and will be put under the microscope next season to judge their true potential.
Although Clarkson made tremendous strides in his first season with the team by earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, the young guard is anxious to improve his game. One way Clarkson will try to get better during the off-season will be soaking up the knowledge from recently retired Steve Nash.
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Clarkson recently spoke with Bill Oram of the Orange County Register about his plans to workout with Nash this summer and bring Russell along to pickup some pointers from once-elite point guard:
Jordan Clarkson told me he is planning on future workouts with Steve Nash. He believes D'Angelo Russell will be included as well.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) July 16, 2015
With Clarkson more than likely having a future as the team starting shooting guard, once Kobe Bryant calls it a career, Russell potentially stands to learn the most from the former two-time NBA MVP.
At times during Summer League play, Russell has shown flashes of his potential. The Ohio State product is an exceptional passer, but that skill won’t be seen without chemistry built with his new teammates. It’s been less than a month since Russell was drafted by the Lakers giving him only two weeks of time on the floor to get to know the tendencies and strengths of his teammates.
As for Clarkson, the 23-year-old hasn’t missed a beat as he’s been arguably the most impressive of all the players on the Summer League squad. Clarkson continues to show his ability to be one of the best scorers on the team and could challenge Kobe as the Lakers’ leading scorer next season.
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