Lakers Larry Nance Jr. and other players to be traded for Pelicans Anthony Davis?

The Lakers are willing to break their young core for a potential big catch in the free agency.

There have been a few bright spots in the otherwise a miserable season for the Los Angeles Lakers. They got the biggest steal last year’s draft in Kyle Kuzma. They managed to snap the winning streak of the Houston Rockets. Oh and don’t forget about their game against the Golden State Warriors when the defending champions needed an extra period just to beat the Lakers by a small margin. If anything, this has been competitive the Lakers have become in the last few seasons. But then again, sticking around like glue against the Warriors won’t be enough to bring the Lakers back to the playoffs and certainly won’t be enough to lure big names next season.

And despite their win over the struggling Atlanta Hawks which ended their losing streak, the Lakers are still at the bottom of the Western Conference thanks to their 12-27 record as they have dropped 9 of their last 10 games. And yet they are hoping to sign the likes of Paul George and LeBron James in the next off-season? Who would want to sign with a bottom-dweller team in the first place?

Despite their struggles, the Lakers are still willing to break their young core who has been the primary reason for their 12 wins this season- so far, just to have enough space for a big star. Aside from Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson whose names have been constantly included in the trade rumors, there’s a new name added and it belongs to Larry Nance Jr. Remember his dunk over Kevin Durant? Can you just imagine him doing that while wearing another uniform?

Apparently, the Lakers wanted to make sure that they will have the need cap space to lure big names come July 2018 and they are appearing to have been pushing that big panic button for a long time now.Take away the Randle problem because he’s likely to be traded anyway but Clarkson? Nance Jr.? Larry Nance Jr. may have only played 28 games this season due to injury issues and he’s only averaging 8 points per game but if you look at the Lakers’ win against the Hawks, Nance Jr. is one of their 8 players who scored in double figures, totaling 13 points and 8 rebounds. So trading Larry Nance Jr. is a big gamble despite his injury problems.

Conclusion

Just a few weeks ago, Larry Nance Jr’s name was actually included in the 6 players that the Lakers were willing to send to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis. While that trade remains a rumor to this day, it can always happen. The question is: Will the Lakers pull the trigger this time around without any assurance that any trade will guarantee them landing LeBron James?

That remains to be seen.

Rumor: Julius Randle annd Jordan Clarkson Up for Grabs

The Lakers are said to have offer two of its best players in various trades

While there’s no doubt that the current roster of the Los Angeles Lakers has both the talent and the potential to develop into a playoff-bound team, they have yet to make a significant impact in the Western Conference as they are sitting in 14th place with an 11-23 record- the second-worst record in the West. They head into their match-up against the Houston Rockets having dropped 8 of their last 10 games which include a 121-106 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. And just by looking at their schedule, things won’t get any better for the Purple and Gold.

The Lakers are also one of the most active teams as of late as they are either trying to get rid or trade their players in hopes of creating enough cap space in hopes that they can lure superstars such as LeBron James and Paul George come July of 2018. While there’s no assurance that either LeBron and/or PG13 will sign with the Lakers, Magic Johnson and company are working round the clock trying to figure out the best trade deals that could help improve the team’s standings because as it is, it appears that they are back to doing the one thing that they are good at over the past seasons: losing tons of games.

As of now, there are two notable players whom the Lakers are reportedly trying to ship via a trade. These players are Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. While there’s no word as to which team did the Lakers offer these two but the thing is: they are trying to trade two of the members of their young core.Jordan Clarkson is currently the team’s third-leading scorer, averaging 14 points per game. Julius Randle is averaging 12 points per game while coming off the bench the first 33 games of the season. While Randle has said that he’s accepting whatever role he will be given, sources have also said that Randle is growing unhappy with his deteriorating minutes- making it a bit easy for the Lakers to decide to offer him in a trade.

Conclusion

Trading Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle is something that the Lakers must decide on carefully because a bad trade will not improve their chances of a possible playoff appearance nor will help them lure big names come July 2018.

Now, if you’re gonna ask this pundit on wheels as to who among Clarkson and Randle does he want the Lakers to retain, it would be Jordan Clarkson. Why? He is playing one of his best careers as a scorer, registering his highest 3-point shooting percentage at 35.2% and a true shooting percentage of 53.2% He can help the Lakers just by being the leader off the bench- something that Randle isn’t fond of doing.

The Jordan Clarkson Puzzle: To Trade or Not

Despite being one of the leaders, JC’s name has been making noise in the trade talks.

After beating the Houston Rockets which ended the Rockets’ winning streak, the Los Angeles Lakers are back to their old habit of losing tons of games as they are riding on a 4-game losing streak which started against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. They have dropped 7 of their last 10 games which put them in 13th place in the Western Conference with an 11-22 record.

While there’s no denying the fact that it has been a disappointing season for the Purple and Gold despite having Lonzo Ball AND Kyle Kuzma leading them, we just have to admit the fact that there have been notable bright spots for the Lakers despite their struggles. Aside from the emergence of Kyle Kuzma as the new star of the team, Jordan Clarkson’s continuous improvement has been noted by pundits and believe that Jordan Clarkson has been an important piece who keepse3 the Lakers winning in some of their games. In 33 games that he played this season so far, starting in two games, Jordan Clarkson has been averaging 14 points per game- the third-leading scorer of the Lakers, while playing for 22 minutes.

However, Jordan Clarkson’s name has been included in numerous trade rumors over the past few weeks. Here’s the thing, folks. As of now, there’s no assurance that either Paul George or LeBron James will make the big jump to Hollywood so letting go of a good player such as Clarkson will make no sense as of the moment. And even pundits in the United States are believing that the Lakers won’t pull the trigger and trade a potential star in Clarkson anytime soon. Why? Just imagine if Jordan Clarkson isn’t around. The Lakers would have been in a much worse state than where they are right now.

Another thing: the Lakers don’t have their pick so trading Clarkson definitely won’t make sense.

Conclusion

Unless PG13 or the King goes on to sign with the Lakers come July 2018, the Lakers will need Jordan Clarkson around because even if he is only averaging 14 points a game, replacing someone who can score that much will be a headache because of the fact that Lonzo Ball is still struggling offensively.

The Knicks Wants Jordan Clarkson, Should the Lakers Give Him Away?

Jordan Clarkson is a steady source of stats for the Lakers for the past three years but is his time in Los Angeles over?

This year, with the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jordan Clarkson has been relegated to a backup role that made his overall performance erratic and sees his minutes on the court dwindled down to the lowest so far since his rookie season at 22 minutes. We still see Jordan Clarkson showing a glimpse of promise but it does not look like he will be able to exceed his past performance due to lack of opportunity.

Clarkson is averaging 14 points per game in the season and while it’s not bad, we have recently seen a big dip in his performance in the last 6 games, including the last game where he took over the point guard position over the injured Lonzo Ball.

Clarkson while, Lonzo Ball is out, might see some good opportunity on the court and to once again prove that he is a keeper.

Recent rumors, however, have swirled around the internet including reports from Ian Begley that New York Knicks is interested in Jordan Clarkson.

Not to be confused but while there are rumors of a trade, as there will always be the reports about New York should be a positive thing for Jordan Clarkson and even the Lakers. The truth is Jordan Clarkson is still under contract until 2020 and until that time New York Knicks would still need to wait and a lot of things could happen in the span of 3 years.

Lakers, however, can leverage this news to their advantage, that is if they truly want to move Clarkson out of the Lakers. Jordan Clarkson is still a young man at 25 years old and we see a lot of potential with him especially if he is given the opportunity under the right system.

Anthony Davis to the Lakers: The Rumor

Will the Lakers pull the trigger?

The Los Angeles Lakers have been included in the numerous trade rumors as of late and that’s not surprising at all considering the mere fact that the team hasn’t been consistent in most of their games despite having Lonzo Ball, one of the most-hyped rookies in recent memory. Right now, the Lakers are sitting at 11th place in the Western Conference with an 11-18 record. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games.

The Lakers are said to be targeting various stars from other teams and among those stars whose names have been making loud noise is none other than Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

To begin with, the Pelicans, despite having their own Twin Towers of Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, are not in a good situation either with regards to their standing. Sure, they are in 8th place in the West right now with a 15-16 record but if you want to make a deep run into the playoffs, then you need to win more games to improve your playoff position and avoid meeting stronger teams in the first round.

Anthony Davis has been averaging 25 points per game this season, the second leading scorer of the Pelicans. Any team who will acquire Davis via a trade will benefit in many ways because Davis has also been known as a great defender and a rebounder.

Now, the Lakers are said to be willing to give up 5 players plus a 2020 draft pick. Who are these players?

Jordan Clarkson
Julius Randle
Larry Nance Jr.
Corey Brewer
Andrew Bogut

In return, the Pelicans will send Anthony Davis and Ian Clark.

Assuming that this trade will happen, will the Lakers’ state improve?

If you look at ESPN’s Trade Machine, the analysis states that this trade will have no effect on the winning percentage of the Pelicans and, this trade will also decrease 4 wins on the projected number of wins by the Lakers.

Conclusion

While getting Anthony Davis will improve the atmosphere in the locker room of the Lakers in terms of having a big star, giving up 5 players is too much. But then again, anything is possible in the NBA, right? And in the past, the Lakers have been making lopsided trades.

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Lonzo Ball Should Come off the Bench

Given his struggles offensively, Lonzo doesn’t deserve to start a game

Fortunately, Lonzo Ball will remain a starter. For now.

Despite not playing, Lonzo Ball in the 4th quarter during the past two games, despite going to Jordan Clarkson for the fourth quarter, one thing is certain for Head Coach Luke Walton: “He’s our starting point guard”

Okay. While this basketball pundit on wheels respects the decision of Luke Walton to keep his prized but horribly shooting rookie in the starting five, it’s a complete waste of minutes, of possessions, of opportunities. Why? Let’s run some comparisons between Lonzo Ball and Jordan Clarkson:

Lonzo Ball

9 points per game- 30% field goal shooting and 23% from the three-point line
6.9 assists per game- leads the team
2.7 turnovers per game- leads the team

Jordan Clarkson

15 points per game- 49% field goal shooting and 38% from the three-point line
2.9 assists per game
1.9 turnovers per game

https://lap.lazada.com/banner/dynamic.php?banner_id=59f0ac16d324f&theme=2&p=3

Okay, there’s no doubt that Lonzo Ball is seasoned to become one of the most exciting playmakers in the league in the coming years. He’s currently averaging almost 7 assists per night and he can definitely create more opportunities for his teammates.

However, you cannot simply rely on your playmaking abilities to lead your team to victories. You need to score more especially when the team needs a basket and none of your teammates are open. Sure, Lonzo Ball exploded for 29 points against a bad team but up to this point, he hasn’t shown any sign of consistency especially when it comes to his shooting.

Conclusion

Luke Walton has already decided to keep Lonzo Ball in the starting five, for now. But if Lonzo Ball does continue to struggle offensively, how many defeats will the Lakers need to face before Coach Walton realizes that yes, Lonzo Ball NEEDS to come off the bench, for now?

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Will the Lakers Trade Julius Randle?

Randle’s slowly decreasing role means he’s not included in the long-term plans of LA

The question is: Where will Julius Randle play after this season?

The Los Angeles Lakers are not yet in its glorious form. Not. Yet. Yes, they got one of the most hyped and yet, almost disappointing rookies in the history of the NBA in Lonzo Ball who, a few days ago, became the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double, a record previously held by LeBron James.

Yes, the Lakers got one of the biggest steals from this year’s draft in Kyle Kuzma who is playing way better than the number 2 pick. And yet, they are still at the 11th place in the West, thanks to their 6-8 record.

Who is leading the Lakers nowadays? Many people think it should be Lonzo Ball. Many people think it should be Brandon Ingram. But no, it’s Jordan Clarkson who is currently leading the team, at least in scoring with 15 points per game- all while coming off the bench.

So where’s Julius Randle in all of this?

In 14 games so far, Randle hasn’t started for the Lakers even though he’s relatively a young veteran. To explain how decreased the role of Randle is, he’s been playing for 19 minutes on the average. Kyle Kuzma for one, has averaged 31 playing minutes per game and has started for 6 of the 14 games for the Lakers, so far. Larry Nance Jr., who is out due to an injury, has averaged 23 playing minutes in the 8 games that he started.

Yes, Julius Randle is leading the team in field goal percentage, making 58% of his shot attempts. Yes, he is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per game. And yes, we all know he’s capable of scoring more than just 11 points. But, we haven’t seen that.

Here’s the problem, folks:

Randle is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season as the Lakers didn’t offer a contract extension before the season began unless Magic Johnson and company extends an offer. Nah!

https://lap.lazada.com/banner/dynamic.php?banner_id=59f0ae2d0e3d6&theme=2&p=3

What will happen to Randle?

If you were to ask this basketball pundit on wheels, it’s likely that the Lakers will trade Julius Randle for a first-round draft pick before the trade deadline.

Why? Once Larry Nance Jr. gets back into shape, the Lakers will get a healthy frontcourt once again with Brook Lopez at the top of things. So Randle’s minutes will continue to deteriorate. There’s no point for the Lakes to keep him especially if they want to have enough cash to attract superstars.

Conclusion

Trade him and you might get another steal from the draft. Let him walk and you gain a roster spot.

Keep him? Your money is sleeping. If you were to ask this pundit on wheels, just trade him or let him walk.

Who knows? Paul George might come to Hollywood. So might LeBron James. But the Lakers will need to act quickly and, smart.

Imagine Kobe and Jordan Playing for the Philippine Team

Kobe Paras and Jordan Clarkson the future of Philippine Basketball is now!

Kobe Paras and Jordan Clarkson recently met in the US and had a brief photo op which was then posted by the son of the former PBA legend Benjie Paras.

Kobe Paras continues his basketball journey playing in the US again for a different college team under Coach Reggie Theus, a former NBA All-Star and the current head coach of California State University Northridge Matadors. Kobe was supposed to be playing at UCLA but unfortunately, it won’t be happening.

On the other hand, Jordan Clarkson is already living his NBA dream and is one of the key players of one of the most popular basketball team in the world, the Los Angeles Lakers. Clarkson, already an established player who can still grow as a player and could have bigger roles can make an immediate impact with the national squad if given the chance to play as one of the locals.

Kobe Paras and Jordan Clarkson would make the Philippine squad easily one of the most powerful in the Asian region.

This dream could turn into a reality in a couple of years.

Jordan Clarkson will not be a Starter this Season, How does Clarkson Feel About it?

Magic Johnson Wants Jordan Clarkson to be Sixth Man of the Year

In his three years in the NBA where he played with the Lakers, he has averaged in double figures and was one of the most consistent contributors for the Lakers.

The 25-year-old Filipino-American made news and turned some heads as he played above expectation. Clarkson is a second round pick / 46 overall back in 2014. He has averaged 14.7 points per game last year with 44% FG percentage in 29 minutes of play.

This year, the Lakers have acquired the highly advertised rookie Lonzo Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope both will be getting the starting role for the Lakers.

This leaves Jordan Clarkson with a backup role and his minutes maybe just be decreased this year as the Lakers management has shown great anticipation and support for their two new guards.

Magic Johnson has scripted the situation well and has challenged Jordan Clarkson to be the Sixthman of the year.

Jordan Clarkson responded and said that it’s really nothing new to him and that his job is to make an impact when his number is called.

Coincidentally, Jordan Clarkson has been wearing jersey number 6 which should be a reminder of his task this year.

Watch PBA 2K: Gilas Pilipinas Dream Team vs Turkey

The Philippine team will never be perfect, there will always be that player who you wish could have been part of the team, that player who is injured.

This game, however, will make all your dream a reality. Gilas Pilipinas roster includes Jordan Clarkson, Greg Slaughter, JunMar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot and much more.

Jordan Clarkson is Ready to Be Traded and to Play Anywhere

Jordan Clarkson is Ready to Be Traded and Play Anywhere

Jordan Clarkson is a confident man, ready for whatever situation

The Lakers have publicly said that they will be making a big move next season to lure Paul George and LeBron James. In fact, Paul George while just recently being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunders ,has already committed to signing with the Lakers next year.

The Paul George situation is pretty much well taken care of due to expiring contracts next year and player movements from the Lakers, however, the approximately 35 million cap space may not be enough to sign two superstars.

https://lap.lazada.com/generator/banner.php?banner_id=597b3de9d3ff8

Jordan Clarkson has been in the conversation for potential cap freeing trade scenarios and for most players, it is kind of bothering but for Jordan, it is what it is.

Jordan has been quoted in a recent interview that these rumors do not really bother him and all he can do is to prepare and be ready to play wherever, but until then he is a Laker and he is excited to play for the purple and gold.

#qp_main1131161 .qp_btna:hover input {background:#3ba038!important} #qp_main1131161[results=’0′] .qp_a:hover {background-color:#d8d8d8!important} #qp_main1131161[results=’0′] .qp_a[sel=’1′] {background-color:#D4DDFA!important}#qp_all1131161 {max-width:815px; margin:0 auto;}

Do you think the Lakers should trade Jordan Clarkson?

Yes

Not sure

Don’t care

survey Maker

//scripts.poll-maker.com/3012/scpolls.js

FilAm Jordan Clarkson Might Be Headed to 3 Potential Teams

In three years, Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson has contributed decently in the Lakers roster. Although not considered by most as franchise player he has embraced and accomplished the role that was assigned to him by the Lakers franchise.

From being a point guard to moving to a shooting guard position and even coming of the bench, the 24 year old Jordan Clarkson has shown flexibility over the years and has shown a lot of upside in his game.

But, why is the Lakers considering trading him?

Jordan Clarkson is going to be paid 37 million dollars over three years, and with the Lakers wanting to compete in the free agent market in the coming years, they need to think of salary cap, especially since they are still shouldering salary of former Lakers Deng and Mozgov.

Which teams could take him and why?

Portland Trail Blazers – As a back up point guard to Lillard.

Oklahoma City Thunders – Clarkson played n Oklahoma in college and Westbrook needs a reliable wingman, Oladipo has been a let down.

Orlando Magic -Well just because they need some good man, they have nothing going on in the sunshine state.

Will Jordan Clarkson Play for Gilas Pilipinas Soon?

There are no questions on the commitment and interest of the Lakers young point guard Jordan Clarkson in playing for his home country and representing it in international basketball competition.

Clarkson who have visited the Philippines a number of times was close to suiting up for the Philippines but was held back due to regulations and restrictions of FIBA. Clarkson’s mom is a Filipina and he has held a Philippine passport since he was twelve but for some reason, there still were some issues.

While Clarkson can already play as a naturalized player, it is not ideal since the Philippines had a lot of good front court players that can compete at the international level. Our issue is the size hence, we recruited and naturalized big man Andre Blatche.

If Jordan Clarkson will be allowed to play, it will give the Philippines a big boost as we will have two NBA players on the roster.

Getting Wiggy with it . Wiggins 47 career high against LA Lakers! 125-99.

Just after a beat down from the other Los Angeles team, The Wolves headed by Andrew Wiggins were on a mission to win and get closer to the .500 record. They improved to 3-6 and the Lakers fall to 6-5.

Wiggins is proving to be an all star type of player who shot 14-21 .667% with 4 rebs, 3 assists and a block. Bjelica also had a career high scoring 24 points and 8 rebs, Karl Towns had a decent game as well 22 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block. LA was headed by Lou Williams with 17, Clarkson and Randle added 14 however DLo struggled and only had 7 pts who shot 3-10 from the field.

Here’s the highlight of Wiggins Career Night courtesy of Free Dawkins

Written by:
Aldrin C.
Team Powcast
Solid Twolves and Celtics fan 🙂

Laker Jordan Clarkson’s Twitter HACKED, tweets Kobe Bryant is a p***y

Yahoo confirmed yesterday about the hack of 500 million accounts. And just this very moment, a hacker calling himself Mr. Chikri and is using the hashtag Cyber Wolfgang managed to get into Jordan Clarkson’s Twitter account. He tweeted that Kobe Bryant is a p***y….

The hacker wasn’t done though, he continued to send out tweets:

“i’m better than D’Angelo Russell”

“it’s official guys, i’m joining the warriors”

“without me lakers would lose every game”

“oh well boys, dating a kardashian isn’t as good as you think.”

Let us see if Jordan Clarkson will look into the specifics of how and why his twitter was hacked.

The hacking and hating never stops. SMH.

New Season, New Headquarter and Practice Facility for the Lakers

Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Jordan

Clarkson. D’Angelo Russell and Ivica Zubac

The under-construction UCLA Health Training Center will be the new home of the Lakers and Development League’s D-Fenders. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2017. The Lakers will own their new building rather than lease space, as they do now from the NHL’s LA Kings.

Lakers COO Tim Harris said that it is not a sponsorship. It is a true partnership with UCLA. Not only the team will have their new practice facility, UCLA Health will also serve as the exclusive in-game health provider.

“The new building is three times the size of the one we’re in now. It’s got state-of-the-art everything,” coach Luke Walton said.

Miss Jeanie Buss, and the mayor of El Segundo was also at the event.

Source: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Daily News

Clarkson Agreed to a Four-Year Deal with Lakers

Jordan Clarkson has agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The incoming third year combo guard had a successful season last year after averaging 15.5 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.3 minutes per game. He is the Lakers second leading scorer only behind Kobe Bryant.

Clarkson is part of the young core the Lakers are building along with D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and the recently drafted 2nd overall pick Brandon Ingram.

Jordan Clarkson Visited Less Fortunate Kids and other places in Manila

JORDAN CLARKSON TAKES IN MANILA, INSPIRES TENEMENT KIDS AND WATCHES AN ATENEO-LA SALLE GAME

A tour of the Walled City, a workout with young ballers and a classic basketball rivalry highlight Clarkson’s last day in Manila

“Nike athlete Jordan Clarkson kicked off his second day in visit to Manila with a cultural and historical lesson at Intramuros. He then stopped by Tenement Court in Taguig, and brought Nike We Rise training to Kerry Sports at the Fort. There he took part in their training drills, played a few mini-games and even indulged in a session of “running man” with the We Rise players. He ended his visit to Manila by spectating the Ateneo – La Salle basketball match at San Juan Arena.”

Jordan Clarkson Visited Less Fortunate Kids and other places in Manila

PHOTOS: Gilas Pilipinas Jersey Unveiling Presscon

JORDAN CLARKSON BACK IN MANILA, UNVEILED NEW GILAS JERSEY

In a media event on Saturday, Nike brought Jordan Clarkson back in Manila as Nike unveiled the new 2016 Gilas Pilipinas national team kits. Clarkson was the special guest of Nike for the unveiling of the uniforms who expressed his confidence in Gilas Pilipinas in qualifying for Rio Olympics. Jordan Clarkson then joined the closed-door session held in Kerry Sports, Shangri-la the Fort.

Lakers rising superstar Jordan Clarkson spearheading the Nike event unveiling the new Gilas Pilipinas unifrom.

The new Nike Vapor Kits with Aeroswift technology in Gilas Pilipinas uniforms makes it lighter and more breathable. There are also changes in the letters and numbers of the uniforms which was tweaked slightly.

From left to right, Jeff Chan, Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood, Calvin Abueva, Japeth Aguilar.

Nike unveiled the 2016 Gilas Pilipinas kits

Clarkson and Blatche Joins Gilas Training

Jordan Clarkson showed his support for Gilas Pilipinas as he joined naturalized import Andray Blatche train with the team in their closed-door session at the Kerry’s Gym inside the Shangri-La Hotel.

Lakers star Jordan Clarkson joins Gilas training despite not being in the 24-man pool

In a press conference by Nike before the close-door practice, Clarkson still strongly expresses his eagerness in representing the country on the court despite not being included to the 24-man pool submitted to FIBA. However, Clarkson is confident and believes that the team can get the job done and get a ticket to Rio.

Andray Blatche rests as coach Tab Baldwin explains some of the plays.


Andray Blatche walks off the court after Gilas practice

Meanwhile, Andray Blatche looks better and a lighter during their Saturday practice unlike when he showed up out of shape before the FIBA Asia Championship last year. Despite looking overweight, he remained as an important piece in the silver medal finish last year. Andray still joined the practice Saturday afternoon despite arriving in the morning which shows his determination in bringing the Gilas in Rio Olympics.


Gilas closed-door session at the Kerry Sports gym, Shangri-la Hotel

The Jordan Clarkson Situation: Good Or Bad?

By now, the news has already sunk in. Jordan Clarkson WILL NOT be suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas come the Manila Olympic Qualifiers.

And while the knee jerk reaction by the public was one of dismay, his absence may actually be a blessing in disguise for the future of Gilas Pilipinas basketball.

Here are four reasons why Jordan Clarkson’s absence may actually prove to be a good thing:

THERE’S STILL A CHANCE HE CAN PLAY AS A LOCAL

With Clarkson’s citizenship status still unclear, the FIBA committee was taking no chances that they’d see a repeat of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championships, when five members of the Qatari national team were disqualified for having been granted citizenships just to play.

And because the decision on Jordan Clarkson’s case has the potential to set a precedent, the FIBA committee did what they do best: procrastinate. But telling SBP president Manny Pangilinan that Gilas could only play either Andray Blatche or Jordan Clarkson, they were putting the burden on us to decide.

Had we chosen to play Clarkson in Blatche’s place, it would have been tantamount to us saying we consider him to be a naturalized citizen. And other FIBA countries (especially China, Iran, South Korea and Chinese Taipei) would demand that Clarkson be considered such in future tournaments.

By not playing Clarkson now, we can ask the FIBA committee to look at his documents and finally decide (hopefully, in our favor) on Clarkson’s eligibity as a local player.

WE ADDRESS A NEED, NOT A WANT

Don’t get me wrong, Jordan Clarkson is a world-class athlete and a legitimate NBA starting combo-guard. He’s also heads-and-shoulders above anyone we have on Gilas.

But that being said, the guard position is actually where we are stacked to the gills. At point, we’ve got Jason Castro, aka The Best Point Guard In Asia, who is at his peak, LA Tenorio, who has regained his fiery playmaking abilities, and Terence Romeo, who has been the most electrifying player for Gilas so far.

At shooting guard, we have the rugged Paul Lee and the very deadly sharpshooter from Negros, Jeff Chan, plus a host of wing players who’ll double as midsized shooting guards and smaller-than-usual smaller forwards, like Marcio Lassiter, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Calvin Abueva, and Ryan Reyes.

So, to be totally honest, if it’s a choice between an NBA-caliber guard and an NBA-caliber forward/center (Blatche is still NBA_caliber, but of a lower caliber), Gilas needs the big man more. And until the likes of Raymond Almazan, Troy Rosario and even Ian Sangalang finally come into their own, we will continue need the NBA-level big man more than NBA-level guard.

HE BECOMES A SORT OF SECRET WEAPON

Sure, chances are he will play with Gilas someday. And many teams (most especially Asian teams) are already thinking about how Jordan Clarkson plays and how to neutralize him.

But until that very first tournament when Clarkson suits up and plays for us, no one will know what to do or expect. And much like what happened in Spain, if other countries can’t prepare for how Gilas plays, especiallt with Clarkson at the heart of the offense, then we’ve got a chance to score an upset or two and maybe make an even bigger splash in the global basketball scene.

WE SHOW JORDAN CLARKSON THAT WE CARE ABOUT HIS FUTURE

This offseason, Clarkson has the opportunity to secure his family’s future. With his sterling performance on a ridiculous Lakers team, he’s set for the payday of a lifetime.

Just how much can Clarkson get this offseason? As much as 88.9 million dollars for 4 years from the Lakers. Or 57.9 million dollars from another team (Arenas provision at work here).

And by not putting pressure on Clarkson to play, we are not piling on to his considerable concerns this offseason. Hopefully, that translates to an appreciative Clarkson who’ll be raring to play for Gilas, once he gets the contract he deserves.

THE VERDICT

One step back, two steps forward. Sure, our chances of making it to the Olympics got a lot dimmer. But the future of Gilas basketball remains bright if we can do the right thing with Jordan Clarkson.

For more sports content, go to http://sportsfandom.blogspot.com

Follow me at

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sportadoblog

Twitter: @SportadoPH

PC REWIND: Jordan Clarkson’s Dunk Puts Nick Young to Cardiac Arrest! 1/4/2016

This was just NASTY! Nick Young’s reaction was just OMG! Murder that dance floor!

This article is brought to you by Pow Cast Rewind!

1/4/2016

Written By:

Aldrin

Team Powcast

	Christopher on Nonito Donaire Autographed Eve…
	Semuelle Federico on A Wheeler’s Opinion: San…
	Mr FAt on The proper way to jump rope, E…
	alex mark on Nonito Donaire Autographed Eve…
	Anonymous on GAB Calls for a Review of the…