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Jordan Clarkson is starting to find some comfort in his sixth man role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season after a year of switching back and forth between the starting lineup and the second unit.
The Missouri product was asked to provide a punch off the bench last season with Nick Young getting the nod at shooting guard, but asked to fill in during D'Angelo Russell's absences, slotted at both guard spots for then-rookie coach Luke Walton.
“I feel like last year was kind of a weird year for me, just in terms of figuring out my role,” Clarkson told Serena Winters of Lakers Nation. “But this year, having this kind of structure, knowing that’s what I’m going to be, sixth man off the bench running with that second unit, it kind of gives me a little bit more comfortability.”
“Last year, I focused a lot on trying to score the ball and sometimes it would force me into taking bad shots, but this year it’s just about making the defense move, that’s what coach has been preaching to me. Instead of taking a good shot, sacrifice, and take a great shot, and that’s probably the biggest change.”
Clarkson has centered his mentality on providing that punch off the Lakers bench this season and has done so comfortably with averages of 15.1 points while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from deep — all improvements from last year's numbers. He’s also dropping 3.2 dimes per game, second only to rookie Lonzo Ball.
