The Lakers
On Wednesday afternoon, multiple sites, including ESPN and Yahoo! Sports reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are close to finalizing a one-year offer to Earl Clark.
The deal is a pro-rated veteran minimum deal, which means the Lakers will still have their disabled player exception from Steve Nash’ injury.
The last time the 26-year-old enjoyed success as an NBA player was with the Lakers in 2013. In 36 starts that season, Clark averaged 9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
With three players out for the year (Nash, Xavier Henry and Julius Randle) the Lakers can use all the help they can get.
Clark has spent the last few weeks in the developmental league (NBDL) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
In four games with the Vipers he averaged 28.8 points.
How can Clark help a struggling Lakers team?
Clark’s versatility will be key for the LA, as he can play the small forward and power forward spots with ease.
But what makes Clark a rare player, is that he can even play the center spot if the Lakers go small.
In his career he has been a decent three-point shooter (33%), but with the Lakers he showed the ability to get hot at times.
In 14 January games, he shot 55% from three and in eight April games he shot 36% from downtown.
With Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin in the backcourt and Jordan Hill at center, the two biggest holes in the Lakers lineup come at the small forward and power forward spots. Small forward Wesley Johnson is a terrific defender that struggles to score, while power forward Carlos Boozer (right) can score at times, but he is a poor defender.
Clark provides a better balance than the two players, but it is unlikely that he will start.
The signing of Clark will bolster a bench that really took a hit with the injuries of Nash and Randle. Clark will bring the energy that is missing from the forward spots.
The Lakers really don’t have a quality forward coming off the bench, since Ryan Kelly has been injured most of the year. The Lakers use three guards (Ronnie Price, Nick Young, Wayne Ellington) off the bench with Robert Sacre.
The signing of Clark could go a long way for the Lakers, but they have ways to go before they become a playoff team.
Copyright 2015 SportSpeak LLC, all rights reserved. For more coverage, follow @SportSpeakLA and @SportSpeakOC on Twitter.
