Lakers’ Luke Walton undecided who to start in backcourt with Jordan Clarkson vs Rockets

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) passes the ball around Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Shawn Long (36), during the 2nd quarter, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Calif., Sunday, March 12, 2017.
( Photo by Stephen Carr / LA Daily News/ SCNG )

HOUSTON — For the next few hours, Lakers coach Luke Walton will think long and hard about what to do with his lineup.

He already has determined that Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson will start at point guard for the second consecutive game when the Lakers (20-47) visit the Houston Rockets (46-21) on Wednesday at Toyota Sports Center. Walton has yet to decide who will start with Clarkson in the backcourt?

Will it be Lakers second-year guard D’Angelo Russell, whose bench role in Monday’s loss against Denver marked the first time this season playing as a reserve? Will it be guard David Nwaba, who has started for the past two games in the middle of his second 10-day contract? Will it be Lakers veteran guard Nick Young, who has sat out the past two games so Walton could allocate more minutes to his younger players?

“That’s a good question,” Walton said after morning shootaround. “We got a lot of different options.”

Walton has established clarity on his other options.

The rest of the starting lineup will feature rookie forward Brandon Ingram, third-year forward Julius Randle and rookie center Ivica Zubac. Walton will still play Young an unspecified amount of minutes. Walton will also pair Clarkson as a primary ball-handler at times with Russell as an off-ball guard, a combination Walton used at times in Monday’s game against Denver. Former Lakers coach Byron Scott had actually tried that combination in Russell’s rookie debut last year, but immediately scrapped it after all involved reporting feeling uncomfortable with it.

“I like continuing to see what kind of games [Clarkson] can having playing the point and we want to see D’Angelo can do scoring wise as an off-ball type of scorer,” Walton said. “That’s why we’re going to do it. We haven’t seen a ton of it this year. We want to see more of it.”


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mmedina@scng.com. Subscribe to the “We Want Tacos” Lakers podcast on iTunes.

Lou Williams collected bets from Nick Young, still waiting from Metta World Peace

HOUSTON — The smile on Lou Williams’ face traced from two recent events.

The Houston Rockets (46-21) enter tonight’s game against the Lakers (20-47) at Toyota Center already with a clinched playoff spot. Williams also collected his previously unpaid bets from Lakers forward Nick Young, dues that had piled up from countless card games during Williams’ 1 1/2 seasons with the Lakers.

After the Lakers traded Williams to Houston on Feb. 21, Williams dismissed Young’s contention on Twitter that all debts were cleared since he went to a new team.

“I was a running joke,” Williams said. “I know Nick wants to give me a hard time.”

Williams is also giving Lakers veteran forward Metta World Peace a hard time.

“I expected Metta to pay me first. But I haven’t seen Metta,” Williams said. “I know they threw him in the game the other day. He might’ve been tired. I have to find him pregame.”

World Peace played in five minutes near the end of the first half of the Lakers’ 129-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday at Staples Center. In a game that prompted Lakers coach Luke Walton to raise his voice about his players’ effort, World Peace provided a rare jolt of energy with three points, two rebounds and an assist.

“He’s got his bones moving again, so he was probably getting some sleep,” Williams joked.


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mmedina@scng.com. Subscribe to the “We Want Tacos” Lakers podcast on iTunes.

Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson to start over D’Angelo Russell against Denver

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) goes up for a shot around Philadelphia 76ers guard Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot (20), during the 1st quarter, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles Calif., Sunday, March 12, 2017. ( Photo by Stephen Carr / LA Daily News/ SCNG )

DENVER — The revolving door toward the Lakers’ starting lineup took another turn. But this time, Lakers coach Luke Walton did not target the usual suspects in demoting a veteran for the sake of developing his younger players.

When the Lakers (20-46) play the Denver Nuggets (31-35) on Monday at Pepsi Center, third-year guard Jordan Clarkson will start at point guard while second-year guard D’Angelo Russell will come off the bench.

“It’s cool,” Russell said before the game. “It’s not a negative thing.”

That’s because Walton told both Russell and Clarkson had nothing to do with their play. While Russell has averaged 20.5 points on 44.8 percent shooting and 5.4 assists in eight games since the All-Star break, Clarkson has averaged 19.3 points on 46.4 percent shooting and 3.6 assists during the same stretch. Though Walton called Clarkson’s career-high 30 points and eight assists on Sunday against Philadelphia “pretty damn good,” Walton stressed other factors influenced his latest decision.

“Just to see what it looks like when he’s out there running the point guard position against starting groups and what not,” Walton said. “That type of experience and that type of film breakdown with us will be valuable.”

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How Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson eventually learned balance between scoring, passing

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) passes the ball around Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Shawn Long (36), during the 2nd quarter, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Calif., Sunday, March 12, 2017.
( Photo by Stephen Carr / LA Daily News/ SCNG )

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers had finally hit a point in the season where victories do not matter.

No, the Lakers insist they are not tanking so they can salvage their top-3 protected pick. They still consider wins important to establish productive habits. Yet as the losses have continued piling up, the Lakers have put higher and higher value in developing their younger players even to the extent it might cost them some victories.

For Jordan Clarkson’s rookie season, that meant he would go from a seldom-used bench player to a definitive starting point guard. For his second season, that meant Clarkson kept his starting spot while having more minutes.

As for his third season? Clarkson learned before the Lakers’ 118-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at Staples Center that Luke Walton’s decision to sit veteran guard Nick Young did not mean he would start. That honor instead went to David Nwaba, who had just signed a second 10-day contract after the undrafted guard from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo spent the past year with the Lakers’ Development League affiliate.

“I agree with it,” Clarkson said, “and I’m ready to take it in stride.”

Clarkson agreed with it because of Walton’s thought process.

“I wanted to keep him on the ball and play a lot of those minutes as a primary ball handler,” Walton said. “That wouldn’t be the case in the starting group.”

And as a result, Clarkson matched a career-high in points (30) on 10-of-16 shooting and posted a season-high in assists (eight) in 34 minutes off the bench.

Clarkson attacked the basket as he usually does. But he also set up plays for others when he faced a suffocating Sixers defense. Walton also observed that Clarkson looked to the sideline and apologized over the few times he had still took contested shots.

“I’m trying to find that balance again,” Clarkson said. “I’ve been thrown into different roles each and every year. So coming off the bench, coach got me in a role wjhere I can have the ball and do somethings with it. I try to get my teammates shot and continue to make plays.”
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Lakers’ Nick Young to come off bench for sake of player development

Lakers guard Nick Young will come off bench.
Photo By Robert Casillas / Daily Breeze

LOS ANGELES — After having a resurgent season full of productivity and joy, Nick Young will return to a spot that had sparked frustration in past seasons.

Young will face reduced playing time off the bench.

But unlike the uneasiness he felt under former Lakers coach Byron Scott, Young will have a diminished role under Lakers coach Luke Walton so he can find more time for some of his younger players, including guards David Nwaba and Tyler Ennis. The Lakers (20-45) will feature guard Nwaba at the starting shooting guard spot for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers (23-42) on Staples Center after signing a second 10-day contract. Lakers rookie center Ivica Zubac will also start over third-year center Tarik Black.

“Nick’s great. It’s important the message is out there that Nick has been one of our best two players all year long,” Walton said after seeing Young average 13.4 points on 43.4 percent shooting in 25.9 minutes this season.” I don’t want anyone to look at this as if he’s getting benched. But he obviously wants to play, but understands where we’re at and what we need to do. So I would expect him to be the same joyful Nick that is supporting his teammates and having fun even if he won’t be on the floor like he has been for us for most of the season.”

Walton’s assumptions proved correct.

“It’s nothing. It’s that time of year you want to check out the young guys and evaluate them,” Young said. “I understand that. It’s nothing personal. It’s not like he’s doing some crazy stuff. It wasn’t like other years before.”

Then, Young faced a diminished role because of his productivity (10.4 points per game on 35 percent shooting over the previous two seasons) and personality clashes with Scott. That has become a distant memory, though, for Young.

“It was very important, especially with the year I had last year,” Young said. “One of my main goals was coming back and proving a lot of people wrong.”

As for Nwaba, his eyes lit up on the increased playing time. He had just signed his second 10-day contract on Saturday after averaging 2.6 points on 44.4 percent shooting in 11.2 minutes through five games. The undrafted guard spent his time earlier with the Lakers’ Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders.

“It means a lot I’m getting an opportunity,” Nwaba said. “Whatever minutes I do have, I’m happy with the opportunity and it’s up to me to make use of that time.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mmedin@scng.com. Subscribe to the “We Want Tacos” podcast on iTunes.

Why Lakers’ Luke Walton likes Rob Pelinka’s ideas of collaboration

Los Angeles Lakers new General Manager Rob Pelinka. El Segundo, CA 3/10/2017. Photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles Daily News (SCNG)

EL SEGUNDO — The results eventually led to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka overseeing the Lakers’ front office. Those results also explain why Johnson and Pelinka plan to make additional changes both in personnel and in ideas.

Through the Lakers’ frustration amid their fourth consecutive season that will end in their missed playoff appearance, however, neither Johnson nor Pelinka found any issue with Lakers’ first-year coach Luke Walton. During his introductory press conference as the Lakers’ new general manager on Friday, Pelinka shared some findings based on informal conversations with his former clients at Landmark Sports Agency and others around the NBA.

“I don’t know how this is possible, but everyone loves you,” Pelinka said. “You have this genuine honesty and coolness about you that just makes every player in the league want you to be their coach. We’re going to capitalize on that and make sure you have the best talent in the world to coach this Lakers team. There could not be a better person to do that.”

Walton respectfully disagreed that he has won the NBA’s popularity contest.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Walton said after practice on Saturday at the Lakers’ practice facility. “I’m sure there are a couple of players you can ask on the team that don’t think very highly of me. But it’s nice of them to say.”

Walton also found it “obviously nice to have the upper management supporting what you’re doing.”

“It gives you the confidence to make the decisions you feel are best for the team,” Walton said. Everyone has been great since we’ve been here. So that hasn’t really been an issue. We know we have a lot of work to do. We have to get the team a lot better.”

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Magic Johnson: “We’re evaluating everybody”

Magic Johnson shakes hands with Los Angeles Lakers new General Manager Rob Pelinka. El Segundo, CA 3/10/2017. Photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles Daily News (SCNG)

EL SEGUNDO — The mission statement already appeared written as the Lakers bragged about the franchise’s exceptionalism using different buzz words.

In his introductory press conference on Friday at the Lakers’ practice facility, general manager Rob Pelinka called the Lakers the “gold standard franchise in all of sports” after winning 16 NBA titles. With the Lakers on pace for their fourth consecutive season that ends in a trip to the NBA draft lottery instead of the playoffs, senior vice president of business operations Tim Harris had dubbed the rebuilding project “Lakers 2.0” and soon became part of Pelinka’s vocabulary. Pelinka also stressed “his commitment to excellence” in acquiring talent, collaborating on ideas and planning.

Those ideas go beyond evaluating the Lakers’ young roster. Or ensuring that Pelinka and Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson work in tandem with president Jeanie Buss. She may have made the most sweeping of front office changes by firing longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak and forcing her brother, Jim, to step down as the executive vice president of basketball operations.

Yet, Johnson stressed he and Pelinka plan to make additional changes to the front office.

“We will add no question about it,” Johnson said.
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Lakers’ Ivica Zubac sent down to D-Fenders

The Lakers’ coach Luke Walton has a word with Ivica Zubac (40) during a NBA game with the Spurs at STAPLES Center Sunday, February 26, 2017, Los Angeles, CA. The Spurs won 119-98. Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs Photo by Steve McCrank, Daily News/SCNG

The Lakers might see rookie Ivica Zubac as their eventual starting center. But they also want to maximize his playing time.

So a day after scoring 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the Lakers’ 122-110 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, Zubac will play for the team’s Development League affiliate on Friday against the Reno Bighorns at the team’s practice facility.

“He was so good we’re going to send him down to the D-League [Friday] to get some more playing time,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said after Thursday’s win. “That was his best game we’ve had in a while as far as being engaged, playing hard, making the right reads out there, making jump shots or setting hard screens. He had a good all-around effort.”

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Why Lakers’ Larry Nance Jr. says Mavericks assistant Larry Shyatt “will always be my coach”

Los Angeles Lakers guard Tyler Ennis (11) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) defend the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3), during the 2nd quarter, at the Staples Center. Los Angeles Calif., Tuesday, February ,28, 2017. ( Photo by Stephen Carr / Daily News / SCNG )

DALLAS — The phone conversation takes place nearly every one to two weeks.

Then, Lakers reserve forward Larry Nance Jr. chats for an hour with Dallas Mavericks assistant Larry Shyatt. They talk about their lives. They reminisce on their time together at the University of Wyoming, where Nance played for four years and led the Cowboys to a Mountain West Conference championship and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2015 for the first time in 13 years. They still talk about the game, with Shyatt still providing Nance various tips on how to improve his craft.

“Even though he’s not my coach,” Nance said, “he’ll always be my coach.”

Nance joked he has “a scout for the Mavericks now” who “gives me the inside scoop” and “feeds me all their plays.” Nance then jokingly boasted he never has shared any purple and gold secrets.

In reality, Shyatt has not told Nance details of the Dallas Mavericks’ playbook or provided a scouting report on his team’s roster. Nance could have only hoped he would have received any insight to help him stopping Dirk Nowitzki from securing his 30,000th career point against him on Tuesday against the Mavericks despite not conceding an inch of space on his patented fall-away jumper.

Yet, Nance’s close relationship with Shyatt provides a window into the journey Nance took before the Lakers selected him No. 27 in the 2015 NBA Draft. It also shows what has made Nance a beloved and emerging forward both when he was a Cowboy and currently as a Laker.

Said Nance: “That’s my guy. I love him.”

Said Shyatt: “He’s one of my favorite people.”

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Lakers admire Dirk Nowitzki’s path toward greatness

DALLAS – The defensive principles all looked perfect, as Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. appeared determined in every way imaginable not to allow his opponent to score on him.

Nance planted both of his feet and kept his balance. He placed his left hand lightly behind his opponent’s back to keep him in check. Once his opponent established triple-threat position, Nance moved closer to give him little room to operate. But like most of his defenders that have tried to use the same tactics, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki showed once again how very few times do those strategies actually work.

In signature fashion, Nowitzki stepped back into the air, lifted his arc of his shot and sank the ball into the net. It only seemed fitting that Nowitzki scored his 30,000th career point in the same way he logged the 29,998 others. In the Lakers’ 122-111 loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday at American Airlines Center, Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 points mark after posting a team-leading 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Nowitzki also became the first international member of an elite club occupied by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

“I happened to be who he crossed the line on, but there’s a lot of other games between me and that last first point, I’m not worried about it,” Nance said. “I played solid defense. But Dirk is Dirk. There’s a reason he has 30,000 points. He’s a seven footer leaning back that can shoot. Good luck.”
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