There has not been much to cheer for in the Lakers 0-4 start, but one player who has proven to be a bright spot is Jordan Clarkson. After a strong second half to his rookie campaign, Clarkson has shown that the hard work during the off-season and strong play from the summer and preseason were not a mirage.
Clarkson is leading the Lakers in minutes played (31 minutes a night), scoring (18.3 points per game), and is second on the team among rotation players (behind Nick Young!) in PER (20.6). Not bad for a guy taken 46th in the draft a summer ago.
While some of Clarkson’s early season success could easily be small sample sized theater — I do not expect him to make 46.7% of his three pointers on almost 4 attempts per game all year — his continued growth in certain parts of his game is clear and, in my opinion, very real.
Nowhere is this more true than his work in the pick and roll. Consider the following stats, per NBA.com/stats through Synergy (10 possession minimum):
- Clarkson has made 14 of his 23 shots (60.9%) out of the P&R
- Clarkson is currently scoring at a 1.22 points per play clip as a shooter when operating as the ball handler in a P&R
- This scoring clip puts him in the 96th percentile of all players, ranking him 4th in the league
Dating back to the second half of last year, Clarkson flashed an acumen for how to navigate this action. Tape study, some tutoring from Steve Nash, and all that extra work Clarkson puts in with the coaches and during the offseason laid the foundation for what we are seeing now. A couple of examples:
On this play Clarkson shows off all his tricks. After walking the ball up, Clarkson calls for the high pick and comes off it tight in order to really free himself from his man. After coming off the pick, Clarkson snakes his dribble towards the foul line and forces the hedging big man to pick him up. After forcing the switch, Clarkson uses his great change of pace dribble (and another Nugget as a blocker) to get to a spot on the floor where he can hit a nice floater.
Here is another example of a high P&R, but this one comes in semi transition after Clarkson pushes the ball up court. What I like about this play is how Clarkson sets up his man with a nice inside-out dribble to get a good pick on his man. He again uses a nice snake dribble, but pushes it even wider to force the switch and draw the hedge out further laterally. After getting the big to slide, he then uses a nice burst dribble and a long stride to get all the way to the rim for a layup. The cherry on the sundae is how he extends with his arm to get the shot off clean without the defender being able to block it.
Clarkson has also been doing his usual damage hitting his pull up jumper out of the P&R, an important shot to be able to make since it sets up the type of driving plays displayed above.
What these plays show me, though, is a continued refinement of Clarkson’s game. The snaking, hesitation dribbles, setting up of his man to get a good screen — these are all tools to help him get to spots on the floor where he can then use the rest of his physical gifts to get buckets.
And while it’s early in the season, clearly it’s working. Hopefully he can sustain close to this level of production as the year advances.
J C says
Clarkson and Randle definitely look like keepers.
I’m pleasantly surprised that I was wrong about Clarkson last year.
Which tells me this about Russell: Lakers know what they’re doing when they scout and draft.
The reports of Russell’s failures are terribly premature.
I see a guy who can shoot, but is unselfish, is respectful of his older teammates, with a great knack for the flashy pass, in a big body for a point guard.
Neither Larry Bird nor Magic nor Nash were ever athletically explosive speed demons like Westbrook or Lillard. I’m not comparing Russell to those guys. I’m just saying basketball is more than just running and jumping. That’s what makes it different than a track meet. Fans that want only elite athleticism are missing the point of this player’s potential.
Factors limiting Russell a little bit so far include multiple shoot-first teammates and a coach that wants to bring him along in limited minutes.
IMO Russell will be a very good player once he has to time to develop. I don’t see anything in his game so far to lead me to believe anything different.
Todd says
I listened to a Podcast with ESPN’s Cari Champion where she interviewed Brian Windhorst on her Be Honest show. They spent 20 minutes talking about the Lakers. She is a self described member of Lakers Nation but is discouraged by what she sees happening. Very insightful discussion.
Windhorst:
1) The bottom line is that the Lakers are 1 to 1.5 generations behind the rest of the NBA.
2) Lakers natural advantages (history and location) are nullified by this reality
3) When Kobe retires the team needs to take the opportunity to redo the entire organization: new training staff, new coaching staff, new analytics staff, redo approach to practices, redo approaches to games, etc.
4) Golden opportunity to reset the franchise, can be done quickly if leadership wants it badly enough.
In other words the Lakers will play out the Kobe era as is, in deference to what he has meant to the franchise. But when he retires the Lakers will be at a cross roads. Will leadership have the courage to acknowledge their faults and correct them or will they continue to have an insular approach to outside criticism?
bluehill says
Interesting takes from Windhorst, Todd.
Enjoyed the breakdown of Clarkson’s PnR breakdown. Watching those during the game, I remembered asking myself how did he do that? and why did it look so easy? Reminded me of some of the jaw-dropping moves Curry has made dribbling around in traffic although his had a higher degree difficulty. Still really enjoy watching Clarkson.
One suggestion someone had from another site was to run PnR a lot more. Russell and Randle seem to run it well and clearly Clarkson can too.
Anonymous says
Hope
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lions-finally-get-ford-tough-and-offer-glimmer-of-hope-for-league-laughingstock-202152624.html
david h says
Darius: sounds and looks like the point guard lakers been looking for. And the pressure he places on the defense and the helper. Thx for the highlites.
Go lakers
Snarky George says
Listened to the podcast.
I got the impression that the Lakers are a victim of their own success. The Lakers have been blessed with such great talent that the organization never sweated the small stuff (and it’s all small when you have talent). So the huge advances in analytics, training etc were of little interest to the Lakers because they were too busy winning. Now,the entire league has passed the Lakers by in these areas and the talent level just isn’t there to bridge the gap.
Windhorst didn’t say that Jim had to go or Jeanie had to go just that the Lakers will soon have the opportunity to make up for lost time. Let’s hope they take full advantage of that opportunity.
Mid-Wilshire says
Jordan Clarkson is the real thing. There should be no controversy about that now. I say this not just on the basis of his numbers through 4 games (18.3 ppg, 53.7% shooting, 2.8 rebounds) but because of how he has learned to channel his athleticism.
John Wooden would often say, “Be quick but don’t hurry.” Clarkson seems to be learning the truth behind that statement.
I fully expect JC to lead the team in minutes played this year and very possibly in scoring, too. Now, things for him to work on include learning to play without the ball in his hands and improving his defensive skills. He also has to remember to pass the ball to the open man even when he is not the PG. But I have confidence that he will learn to excel in all aspects of the game. The ability is certainly there.
Combined with Julius Randle’s recent performances, the Lakers fans, for all the hand-wringing they’re doing right now, should have plenty of reasons to follow their team throughout the year. As D’Angelo Russell continues to develop and mature, this season — especially in the 2nd half –could be very interesting indeed.
But back to Clarkson. According to Steve Nash: “the sky’s the limit” for Clarkson. It should be fun watching him develop.
Archon says
I thought Clarkson was a “good stats, bad team” guy last year. It looks like I was very wrong and he should be the starting PG getting 40 minutes a game in a pick and roll offense. It’s clear Russell isn’t ready to be a starting PG and if anything you could argue trying to put him at PG could hurt Clarkson’s development into a potential star.
A Horse With No Name says
On Windhorst:
The espn houseman apparently is unaware that the Lakers have already hired an expanded analytics staff. Further, Gary Vitti is in his last year as head trainer. Judy Seto is a highly regarded physical therapist. The Lakers approach to performance nutrition is cutting edge. The lakers scouting department is top notch. The soon to be built team training facility will be state of the art. The truth is that the Lakers are already in transition to the modern NBA. Yes,the current coach is pathetic. The selection of coaches has been pathetic. This too, will change. Windhorst is a wind bag, serving up the stock espn laker narrative for the uninformed.
Mid-Wilshire says
The top 10 picks in the 2014 draft were as follows:
1) Andrew Wiggins
2) Jabari Parker
3) Joel Embiid
4) Aaron Gordon
5) Dante Exum
6) Marcus Smart
7) Julius Randle
8) Nik Stauskas
9) Noah Vonleh
10) Elfrid Payton
If the draft were to be re-done today, would Jordan Clarkson be chosen in the top 10? If so, where? And where do you think Julius Randle would be selected?
Slymonkey says
@Mid-Wilshire:
Interesting topic. I would say at the very least JC would go right after Randle at #8 since both Stauskas and Vonleh were traded for a song the past offseason, and Payton has proven he just can’t shoot the ball, a big problem for a PG. So basically the Lakers got two lottery picks in the same draft. Nice.
bluehill says
I haven’t seen enough or some cases at all these players and Embiid hasn’t even played (poor guy). Parker is just coming back and Exum is out this year. But, the link (hopefully) shows a comparisons of the guards from the their rookie seasons. Clarkson looks pretty good on a per game basis, but looks really good on 36 min basis and by the advanced stats. Just based on the stats he is a little better than Wiggins. JC’s offense is a little better and his defense is a little better, but still near the bottom of this group.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&y1=2015&p1=wiggian01&y2=2015&p2=parkeja01&y3=2015&p3=exumda01&y4=2015&p4=smartma01&y5=2015&p5=paytoel01&y6=2015&p6=clarkjo01
Marques says
He’s better on offense, but he is absolutely horrible on defense. He can’t stop anyone of the dribble and completely dies on screens.
But…he is the best we have…hopefully he can fix it.
KL says
bluehill
JC’s per 36 is insane. He might as well be the best player in the draft. With his growth rate right now, the sky is actually the limit.
matt says
We all hate this but here’s what the lakers could’ve been
Pg Rondo, huertas
Sg kobe, clarkson, Ellington
Sf young, a.brown, Looney
Pf Randle, davis, kelly
C okafor, hill, black
Snarky George says
If the Lakers are so ‘advanced’ in those areas why did we embarrass ourselves in the Aldridge free agent meetings? Could it be that all those changes you mentioned were implemented recently?
And saying you have something doesn’t qualify how top notch it is compared to the rest of the league or imply how the insight/tools are being used or who is using it.
I think the best feedback about all of those facets of the fame come from the players and their agents. DHoward, Jeremy Lin and LMA all stated that the Lakers are lacking in analytics to the point of embarrassment.
And touting Vitti is problematic as the Lakers have experienced more than their share of injuries. Even their most important player, Kobe, has experienced an Achilles and shoulder injuries linked to excessive wear and tear. Who was monitoring Kobe?
This Lakers team may, for the third year in a row, set a franchise record for futility. Yet there is a segment of the fan base that refuses to acknowledge that there are problems or that the people in charge of this mess should be held accountable.
Baylor Fan says
I love how Clarkson surveys the floor before he goes into action. A quick look to figure out his path to the basket and then a second look to see where the help is. He has really matured since last season.
Mackson says
Matt just no , no Matt
Drrayeye says
Clarkson is a talent. How will the Lakers develop that talent? Will he be in the model of a Kobe? Derrick Rose? Russell Westbrook? What role will he play on defense?
I hope someone in the organization is thinking very carefully about his future, before he gets corrupted.
Barath says
Snarky george : the problem with the first meeting and pitch was that they carried on for too long talks ng about the city and the opportunities rather than the basketball fit or stats.
The coach and gm.are self confessed oldsters who dont understand stats. Worse, the coach has been dismissive and the organization secretive. The Lakers do have an analytics team,
Ref :http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/41786/lakers-announce-front-office-promotions-reveal-analytics-staffers
The thing is that the coaches and gm have to be very much in sync and using the stats. The fact that you have a liaison or go between the coaches and the analytics is a shame. You want folks to ask questions and to use the inputs directly.
Unless you act on the stats and vice versa, it may as well not be there. The Lakers have mentioned they are users of the sportsvue cam, but sticking the stats guys in a corner away from the basketball guys is a bad sign. It is tough to understand how well the stats guys are up on things, and maybe relatively small changes in communication behind the scenes are enough to set things right. Or maybe they need bigger changes. I would give the Lakers some rope on this one, since any new coach will change things up and Mitch has shown with his track record and attitude that he doesn’t always have his head up his ass.
Gary vitti is retiring, and Judy seto is full time. Change will come in the trainers. But remember how the Lakers were ahead of the curve with Kobe’s German knee doctor, and out there with that bone broth and grass fed nutrition stuff, and don’t feel too bad about that side of things….
tankyou says
At this point I see Clarkson as basically a Jeremy Lin type player. A guy who is extremely adept at the PnR and a great slasher, but only a modest jump shooter. I don’t see Clarkson as a star player, at least not yet (although he has his nights). Sure when he is given tons of minutes and the green light his stat line can look pretty nice, but Lin could have done just as well. Clarkson has a bit more size and jumping ability which are big plusses. Lin was a much better shot creator for others, hopefully Clarkson can learn to do this a bit more, he does become a bit of a black hole at times.
So overall Clarkson I see as someone that is above average overall, but with flashes of offense some games that get people excited. But if we are a good team where other teams were highly motivated to defend against I see Clarkson as a 15/4 type guy, nice to have on the team for sure, but not your #1 option unless he is having an “on” night.
Thus, barring some great FA pick up, I’m still hoping Randle becomes our Alpha dog and gets the lion’s share of touches and continues to develop his game. I’m hoping Randle can become a 20/9reb type guy for us in the future. IF DAR can become a better version (better shooter) of Kendall Marshall that may work very well since Clarkson seems far more of a SG than a PG in terms of mentality. So get us a great SF that plays defense and some rebounders and defenders at the PF/Center and we could have a nice team within 2 more years. Don’t think we will be a contender that quick by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe we can finally eek out more wins than losses by 2017.
Fern says
People can complain about the Lakers FO and blah blah blah but they have done a stellar job drafting the last 2 years, buying that Clarkson pic was absolutely that Draft’s steal, i mean highway robbery level, if that Draft could be redone he would be a top five pick hands down, and he is still getting better, needs to work more on defense but he can improve on that. He is not that horrible defensively like some people here depict him, Randle is for real, on this season of last year entire Draft our two guys are the more effective right now, even better than Wiggins, Randle is putting the entire league on notice and he is basically a rookie, imagine him in 2 years, those two are quality building blocks for the future and are panning out beautifully. About Russell, he looks overwhelmed by it all i dont know, he needs to be more agressive, i dont remember him scoring or even atempting a put your head down and go penetration one time so far, but the upside is there for all to see, that pass he made to Hibbert and those passes he made to JC in rythm for those treys are the stuff that makes you want to weep if you apreciate the beauty of basketball. Like i said in another post he needs to earn those minutes, not being given to him, on that im with BS. He needs that breakout game to built his confidence, he has to do it himself. We have an embryonic core developing nicely…
LKK says
I think the Lakers should start Kobe and Clarkson and let D-LO come off the bench. Kobe can’t battle often bigger opponents at small forward at this stage in his career. Russell isn’t ready to start. Clarkson can handle the point. Kobe can facilitate as well… He’s done it before. Start Brown and see if he can be a 3&D small forward to balance the front court starting unit alongside JR and Roy. Kobe needs the ball in his hands more to get his rhythm. He’s never been a catch and shoot player and it’s sort of late in the game for the leopard to find new spots. D-LO will get plenty of opportunities as the first guard off the bench so his development won’t be hindered. In my scenario, Huertas is out of the rotation. Williams, Young, Bass and Black would join Russell in the second unit. I would play those ten, mixing and matching according to who is hot and depending on matchups. I would let the players’ success or lack of it throughout the game determine who finishes. It’s time for some adjustments. Our team is bad, but I don’t think that they are a historically bad bunch. They should be able to compete.
Anonymous says
But remember how the Lakers were ahead of the curve with Kobe’s German knee doctor,
___
My understanding was that Kobe did that on his own.
T. Rogers says
Clarkson is a great young piece to have. The Lakers do not need another mega star player. Of course that’s always great if that player can be had. Usually that’s not the case. But a competitive 60 win team can be built by having multiple high level players and a system that takes advantage of everyone’s strengths. Clarkson and Randle look like the first two building blocks for that kind of set up. Hopefully, Russell is the next piece. But it will take time and proper development to bring the three of them along.
Todd says
Talent always trumps all. However, advances in analytics, injury prevention, training along with a robust scouting dept and progressive thinking from coaches/FO can enhance that talent. And if you don’t have great talent those techniques can help bridge that gap vs the competition.
To some degree these aspects of the sport have become the necessary cost of doing business in the NBA. These tools are important when wooing free agents and prospective coaching/front office talent. Mitch could say to a free agent that ‘ you look more comfortable shooting off screens that create space on the left side of the floor. We’ll look to provide that for you.” Another GM may produce a presentation with specific shooting percentages from various places on the floor and detail the frequency that the team’s PG runs plays that would set this player up for his most effective shot. Each team shared the same message but you can see how the one might convey a more progressive approach.
I think much of the news coming from El Segundo about improving these aspects of the game is a direct result of the feedback George mentioned from players/agents and those damning surveys about how lacking the organization in these areas. While the Lakers are arriving late to the party the important thing is that they have finally arrived.
Again, no one is saying these tools are more critical than talent. However, the league has changed and there is a new language that is being spoken. Its important that the Lakers become conversant in it.
I know that there was a comment above about the Champion/Windhorst interview. It was mentioned that Windhorst is a blowhard. If you listened to the interview you would know that as bad as things are now Windhorst painted a very bright future, and how quickly it could be attained, if Lakers management is willing to embrace and ride this new league wide tide.
Vasheed says
While discussing pick and rolll thought I would share this article showing Russell, Randle, and Clarkson in a pick and roll.
http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2015/7/20/9003273/la-lakers-dangelo-russell-julius-randle-play-breakdown
Considering the guys we have this sort of thing should be like the bread and butter type plays.
tankyou says
@T. Rogers, I agree with don’t need a “mega-star” but I think we definitely need star players. Clarkson to me is iffy as a true star player (although some Laker fans may consider their best couple players “stars”), and Randle might make it there. For me a star player is top 3-4 at their position in the league. Randle/Clarkson have a HUGE ways to go to reach that level. Superstar status such as Lebron or Curry, well I think its pretty obvious they likely won’t every be that good already. Clarkson has been around for awhile, he is more established but also less likely IMO to get massively better. Geez 19 year old Lebron was already pretty scary thinking back at it.
I like the concept of team wins, but in reality it just seems that you need the team +1 guy who is really elite to win it all (barring anomalies). We had Kobe, we had Shaq, we had Magic etc etc. we had guys who were nearly unquestionably #1 at the position they played. Lebron and Curry’s team made it to the finals in no small part to the fact that those two guys are superstar special players. So I would still argue we need our #1 guy, I think Randle can be a top 3 guy at his position, I think Clarkson is pretty iffy for that, but maybe he can sniff near it. Who knows about DAR he’s just so young and hard to quantify at this point, although he isn’t taking the lead out the gates that’s for sure. But I’m still hoping DAR ends up being a top 10 pg type guy, but I think its pretty clear already he’s not going to be CP3 or Curry. But maybe he can be nearly as good a passer as CP3 eventually, if the team is built right we won’t need DAR to be amazing, but all there of those guys better become at least average defenders at some point.
bmcburney says
It seems to me that critics of the Laker FO have a question to answer. If the Lakers FO is generations behind the times, how is that they were able to pull off the best draft in the league in 2014? Even if every single complaint regarding analytics were valid, talent evaluation is still the sine qua non of success in the NBA. Getting rid of a group of guys who obviously have that crucial skill just because they don’t do number crunching the way morons like Windhorst want would be insane. Windhorst and Pelton like stats because they figure they can understand stats. They know they don’t understand the game itself.
bmcburney says
And this is the same FO that won back to back chips in 2009 and 2010. Remind me again, how many chips have those advanced stats guys in Houston won?
Todd says
And this is the same FO that won back to back chips in 2009 and 2010. Remind me again, how many chips have those advanced stats guys in Houston won?
__
Again, talent trumps all. No one has ever said differently.
It just seems to me that the Lakers have the money to be excellent across the board. If this is the cost of doing business in the league now days why not embrace it?
I think this is especially relevant since Jim has based a large part of the team’s turnaround on securing an elite free agent(s). That hasn’t gone so well has it? No, in fact it’s been embarrassing public failure for the franchise. Maybe, if we were a little more progressive in our approach it might resonate with the prospective player.
And by the way, Houston has won 110 games these last two seasons while we have lost 116.
Calvin says
Let’s go, JC! #Gilas Clarkson was a bright spot for Mitch – great pickup in late 2nd round. Clarkson has legit size, speed, and excellent soft touch. I think Clarkson has a better upside than D’Angelo because of his explosiveness to get to the rim and a Tony Parker teardrop as a weapon against rim protectors.
A Horse With No Name says
bmcburney: Great points. Houston is a great example of the parts being greater than the sum. Roster building takes far more than metrics. The Lakers scouting/drafting speaks for itself. Larry Nance and Anthony Brown have shown they can be legitimate NBA players–and maybe more than that. Excited about those guys.
Mikey says
Clarksons pick and roll game is key in that it will allow him to play in tandem with Russell. Russell will be able to play off as the shooter, and Clarkson will be able to cut off as the slasher in this action. That’s tremendous for LA, especially with Randle early emergence. This gives them a core around which vet defenders and spacers cab be acquired for cheap, leaving the free agent money for one star at the SF or center position.
As for those who doubt Russell. Hush. You’ll be glad you did in about a year or two.
rr says
It seems to me that critics of the Laker FO have a question to answer.
—
There is more quantitative data about drafting than there used to be, but it is still an art as well as a science, for lack of a better expression. Unless it is some guy like Shaq or LeBron or David Robinson, trying to project how good a 19-year-old will be at 22 is not easy and you can’t do it all with numbers.
As to the other stuff, Houston has won 111 games and made a WCF, the last two years (with Dwight Howard at the 5) and the Lakers have won 48. So bringing up 2009 and 2010, when the FO was organized differently than it is now and had some different people in it, is silly.
As to the analytics issue specifically, I have always said that I don’t really know if the Lakers are lagging in that area, just that there is some evidence, like the Aldridge FA meeting, which suggests it strongly.
Finally, the people who defend the FO by being snarky and confrontational should heed T Rogers’ wise words: the narrative about Jim Buss will change when the FO’s decisions start bearing fruit. Until the the FO will–and should–take some heat.
Clarkson and Randle look pretty good; if Russell picks it up and they can flip some vets for some stuff later and start winning some games, then they will get less flack.
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
I think where Windhorst missed a crucial point is that the Lakers are 1-1.5 generations behind the NBA in some departments…because KOBE is 1.5-2 generations behind the NBA, and the Lakers keep deferring to Kobe.
All the analytics in the world won’t help the offensive/defensive schemes if #24 keeps breaking them to take poor-quality shots and poor-quality defensive gambles.
All the advanced training/player health methods don’t help if you’re hanging your hopes on (and building your roster around) a 38-year-old shooting guard who refuses to accept he’s past it.
All the knowledge of the ins and outs of the salary cap is semi-useless when you have a team built around the most expensive player in the league (who plays like a D-league callup) and a shortage of draft picks because of past moves to build a potential winner around Kobe.
The Lakers don’t necessarily need an organizational overall. Just the fact of Kobe no longer being on the floor (limiting the team’s offensive/defensive options) and on the salary cap (limiting their personnel moves) will be an overall of sorts. With the core of Randle, Russell, and Clarkson, the team could be pretty good pretty soon (and great if a Durant/Westbrook-level free agent signs). But we have to get through one more year of the Kobe Bryant Zombie Tour.
mindcrime says
DAR has looked better in PNR sets than the Princeton. JC has superior PNR numbers. The Lakers look lost in the Princeton. Scott’s rigid insistence in refusing to infuse the LAL offense with more PNR is the latest evidence he is out of his depth.
bluehill says
Just a clarification on Clarkson, he’s entering his second season and Curry is entering his seventh season. I think it’s too early to say that Clarkson has hit his peak or is even near his peak. I’m not saying that JC will be good as Curry, but he’s likely to get better.
Using my new favorite tool, here’s a comparison of Clarkson’s and Curry’s first seasons. Just for fun I threw in Jeremy Lin, who is going on his 6th season. It’s not a good 1st year comparison for Lin because he played a lot fewer games and minutes.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&y1=2010&p1=curryst01&y2=2011&p2=linje01&y3=2015&p3=clarkjo01&p4=&p5=&p6=
Curry’s defensive rating was about the same as Clarkson’s and their offensive rating was the same, but Curry was a much better 3 pt shooter. Curry has more assist because he was always the point guard as was Lin.
This link shows stats for their entire careers, which for JC is basically last year plus 4 games this year.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&p1=curryst01&p2=linje01&p3=clarkjo01&p4=&p5=&p6=
Curry as befitting his MVP status has improved a lot since his rookie season in both offense and defense. The offensive improvement is less surprising to me than Curry’s improvement in defense. Curry’s defense has steadily improved every season he’s been in the league, which suggests to me that JC will improve just through experience and more effort. Of course, Clarkson has to want to improve and have the work ethic to do so, but to me he seems to have that mentality and desire.
Calvin says
bluehill – Steph Curry really has no comparison. We have never seen his kind of basketball before ever. A point guard who has speed, vision, and unlimited range with a quick release, shooting 44% ++ from 3pt with a very high volume. He is dominating the game from the outside. The geometry of the defense changes against Steph because you have to guard him from 30 ft out, and it creates all kinds of openings for supporting players like Barnes, Draymond and Klay.