With the recent news of Xavier Henry joining Steve Nash and Julius Randle on the shelf for the season, the Lakers have begun to explore their options on adding a player who could help. Well, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo, the Lakers have settled on a familiar name:
Lakers, Earl Clark working on a one-year deal, league sources told Yahoo. He's averaging nearly 30 points for Houston's D-League affiliate.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 26, 2014
Lakers fans are familiar with Earl, of course. He damn near became a household name in his lone season with the Lakers, getting thrust into the lineup after injuries ravaged the team’s front court (sounds familiar!). Playing stretch PF under Mike D’Antoni, Clark easily had the best season of his career. His ability to stretch the floor offensively and multi-skilled game was a nice fit for that system and that coach, who paired him next to Dwight or Pau and let him work on the perimeter as a floor spacer and then use his athleticism to do work closer to the basket as a slasher and finisher in the open court. Earl flourished in that role and turned that production into a free agent deal with the Cavs for four-times what the Lakers likely would have wanted him to sign for.
In Cleveland, however, Clark never found the same magic he had under D’Antoni. While his three point shooting numbers held steady, the rest of his game did not translate as well to Mike Brown’s more methodical approach. Clark did not even finish his first season with the Cavs and was traded to the 76ers and promptly waived. Since then, Clark continued his vagabond career suiting up for the Knicks and getting claimed off waivers by the Rockets, but never finding a home. Now he’s back in LA.
While I do not want to be too down on Clark, I wouldn’t expect the same type of success that had fans making “Earl-sanity!” comments on this site two years ago. Clark is, theoretically, being brought in to play small forward where he can provide depth now that Henry is out. Clark has the perimeter skills and, as noted by Woj, he has been producing some gaudy scoring numbers in the D-League. But unless his game has moved forward in the two years he’s been gone (which is possible), I expect Clark to still have some issues playing against like sized and athletic players who are used to guarding on the perimeter.
In saying all that, though, I am happy to see Earl get another shot in the league. Hopefully he does well and can find a landing spot in the years to come that find a way to maximize his game. He certainly has talent and a unique skill set for a player his size.
Ko says
Happy
TankGiving to all
J C says
Hahaha Ko has the line of the day
Is Clark better than Beasely?
Better than Kirilenko?
Yeah he’s younger.
I’m sure #24 will gladly forfeit shot attempts to help Earl Clark’s career.
Vasheed says
Not a bad signing if they can do it with Randle’s exception. They were right to let him walk the first time when the Cavs gave him a big offer. Getting him back at the right price would be good news.
rr says
Clark has some length and decent lateral movement, so he will help the D a little if Scott plays him.
People obsessing on Kobe’s FGA should do three things:
1. Look at the Denver game.
2. Look at Tom Haberstroh’s piece about the issue, which has the usual ESPN bias but made a couple of decent points.
3. Focus their ire on Byron and the FO.
1. Kobe was shooting over 50% or around it most of the game, then Byron started calling for clearouts in the 4th.
2. Haberstroh pointed out that KB has been gunning mostly when the team is down double-digits. Haberstroh ignored the fact that the D is a bigger issue than the O and that all five starters have miserable +/- numbers.
3. Kobe has no leverage here at all. If Byron told him that he was cutting KB’s minutes down to 28-32 and was going to stop running ISOs for him in the 4th quarter, Kobe could, literally, do, nothing about it at all, except complain to the media or stage some kind of sit-down strike. Kobe’s deal is basically untradeable, and the team is 3-11. This would also be true if the FO ordered Byron to make these moves.
So…either Byron is scared to do this, actually thinks it’s better for the team to have Kobe run ISOs late and play 35 MPG, or it is all part of a stealth tanking conspiracy. But Kobe neither coaches, runs, nor owns the Lakers.
Craig W. says
Somehow I just don’t think the organization is willing to take on either a head case or an old vet, just to fill out the roster. Neither Beasely nor Kirilenko fit what the Lakers are trying to do. Earl Clark doesn’t have to be an all-star; he just has to be as good as Wesley Johnson.
bryan S. says
Everyone loves Earl! Best post-game interview. Length, lateral movement and some touch shooting. He can bring some of what R. Kelley does, minus the hoops IQ. A worthy addition to this most ignoble of quests: the drive for top five!
PurpleBlood says
not only am i happy about the `duke of´ Earl´s potential signing (as Craig W noted: no vets or questionable character traits for now, please), but i have a feeling he´ll be working hard, when given the opportunity, to make whatever positive impact he can, thus giving all of us a pleasant and welcome surprise. All the best to ya duke`´!
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&, because i like his game, i´m hoping all will be well for Derrick Rose – good luck man
Robert says
Clark: How do you get waived by Philly? I guess the better question is how does a team find itself in a position where picking up a guy Philly waived – actually makes sense?
rr: Excellent post, and your use of “sit down strike” made me chuckle. I immediately envisioned Kobe sitting on the bench fuming and occasionally glaring at Byron. After considering this for a minute, I tend to disagree with part of your post. KB does have leverage. He is all we have left and I think he knows that. You know the little captions they put on the on screen program guides? In the past, a Laker game would usually read something like: “The NBA’s best team in action at the Staples Center tonight”. Now it is something like: “Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers against ______”. What in the world would the cable company put in that caption if Kobe were not playing? I have no idea – but I know they would not let Aaron write it : )
Jim Buss: I have seen several references in past couple threads to the “three year pledge”. Well – that would be nice – however, Jim Buss made his infamous statement in January of 2014. His time period stated from that point was 3-4 years. Further he did not specify if this was calendar years or NBA seasons. If the later he may not have been counting the year he was in, so four years takes us all the way until the summer of 2018.
Byron: As Mr. Scott’s resident agent on this board, I am hereby requesting that Byron by given 3-4 years to make this work. When Jim took over the team was a contender, we promptly fell to the bottom of the league, and now Jim wants 3-4 years to rebuild. So – clearly when Byron came in – the team was already at the bottom, so how could we not give him the same 3-4 years? I wonder what the Boss would say about this?
Jeanie: She does indeed have great personality, she is attractive, she is rich, she gets along well with the media, and she has a good business sense. Now she does have a major weakness for an NBA executive. She knows little about basketball operations. However she shares this trait with many other owners and like most of them, she stays out of basketball operations and lets others handle it. Therefore – her lack of knowledge is not really a weakness at all. She is a perfect owner. Except for one thing of course.
rr says
KB does have leverage. He is all we have left and I think he knows that.
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Well, he can retire and leave 48M on the table, or he can demand a trade. But neither of those is realistic.
As to KB being “all the Lakers have”, yes, in a sense. But I was always skeptical of the business/revenue branding arguments to an extent. I think some people thought that this would be like 2006-7: KB going off, decent team, more titles around the corner. But KB is 36, not 28, and this team is awful, not decent. So this is a whole new thing.
rr says
however, Jim Buss made his infamous statement in January of 2014.
_____________
I think it was April, actually, not long after Phil went to NY.
PurpleBlood says
everyone,
you might get a kick out of this:
http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/11/25/la-shamans-and-psychics-agree-the-lakers-are-cursed-by-dark-energy
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i especially liked the following comment; & hey, maybe there´s hope for the FO after all !! :
“I’m sensing a foreign dark energy that started attaching itself to the team around the Chris Paul trade,” says Justine Kenzer, proprietor of Psychicgirl.com — an opinion mirrored by basketball and paranormal experts alike. “And it seems to be coming from really far away. It’s a foreign dark energy invading the team, not an internal one.”
rr says
“And it seems to be coming from really far away.
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Well, Stern lives in New York and Red Auerbach is in hell, so this actually makes sense.
Aaron says
“Well, Stern lives in New York and Red Auerbach is in hell, so this actually makes sense.”
This needs to be part of the banner for this website. This might need to be the banner for every website
PurpleBlood says
Now it is something like: “Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers against ______”.
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that´s just like the time way back in the very early 80´s when someone pointed out to Keith Richards that the marquee outside a stadium, in Texas i believe, read:
`Mick Jagger & The Rolling Stones´ ! (you might imagine Keith´s reaction!)
oh, & nice post Robert 🙂
PurpleBlood says
Well, Stern lives in New York and Red Auerbach is in hell, so this actually makes sense.
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hahahahahahaha
Craig W. says
In all my support for the FO I do have an addition to the ‘VETO’ that puts more pressure on the Laker organization. Jeannie commented that she asked the front office not to broadcast the Chris Paul trade until after all the owners had left New York. I don’t know whether they ignored her or whether the announcement came from another source, but all the owners were still in New York when the trade was announced. This allowed them to more easily conference and put pressure on David Stern.
Hummmmm! Well, ‘Stern lives in New York and Red Auerbach is in hell, so this actually makes sense.’
bryan S. says
rr@ 1:12–top five post 2014
Robert says
rr: It is a technical point, but this particular topic is one that I have a particular interest in : ) The Jim Buss statement hit the press in April of 2014, and in the statement he was quoted that he made the statement at a Laker executive meeting in January of 2014. In any case, April would make it even worse, because it would be clear that last year did not count. So it would be 3-4 years – starting this year. Hence – summer of 2018 – and this requires that the Buss does not change its schedule.
Purple: In any case, as Laker fans, we can’t get no “Satisfaction” and I am not sure if “Time is on Our Side”. Many concerts coming up Seether, Chevelle, and Foo Fighters.
Archon says
He can’t be worse then Wes Johnson so I like the signing.
Chearn says
The Duke of Earl is back? Had he not commanded the amount of money he got from the Cavs, just think he would be a playing elder statesman on the team. Well, “Back to the Future” it is.
Sigh….
Mike in Beijing says
I have a plausible explanation for Kobe’s minutes this year and his fga’s. Wait for it….
Kobe’s been given a secret deal by the Lakers that is based on the Time Warner contract. If ratings stay high enough, he gets the money. Laker’s ratings depend on Kobe staying on the floor. Byron can’t keep him off the floor….it’s business, people.
Oldtimer says
Happy Turkey Day and I think the Duke of Earl is the latest good luck Turkey player for this team. He is much better than Xavier whom he replaced in the roster and has the perimeter threats. Davis and Clark can exchange positions when Clark goes for stretch 4 or 5.
1 Price
2 Ellington
3 Young
4 Davis
5 Clark
After few more games, there will be more chemistry in the 2nd unit than the starters. If Ellington does not pan out, there is Clarkson waiting in the wing.
pat oslon says
rr wins the comment of the YEAR!!!
(hands down)
PurpleBlood says
rr wins the comment of the YEAR!!!
(hands down)
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absolutely! it´s hilarious
DonFord says
Now it is something like: “Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers against ______”.
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“GEORGE MIKAN VERSUS THE NEW YORK KNICKS”
Also, the Stern/Auerbach comment is hilarious, yes.