All eyes were on five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant on Monday with the superstar guard playing his first game for the Los Angeles Lakers since going down with a knee injury back in December of last year. Kobe didn’t disappoint in his return finishing with 13 points and five assists as the Lakers got the best of the Denver Nuggets in San Diego.
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Along with Kobe looking like he’s back to form, a quite a few others on the squad turned a lot of heads as well on Monday. Rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson were among those players that were impressive.
Kobe was asked about Clarkson and Randle after the game and the veteran said the following about what lies ahead for the two rookies, via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe Bryant said both Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle "have extremely bright futures." Said they played "phenomenally well."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 7, 2014
Not only does Kobe believe that Randle and Clarkson have a bright futures ahead, but also that they’re ready to contribute right now opposed to further down the road, via Winters:
Kobe Bryant on whether the rookies could contribute to this team immediately: "Without a shadow of a doubt, they could contribute right now"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 7, 2014
Although Clarkson struggled shooting the basketball in his debut going 3-for-13 from the floor, the Missouri product did finish with a game-high 14 points and five rebounds. Randle was no slouch either adding 10 points, eight rebounds and a pair of dunks that got everyone on their feet at the Valley View Casino Center.
At this point in time, head coach Byron Scott seems to be leaning toward a starting lineup of Steve Nash, Kobe, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill. Despite these players more than likely being the starters come Oct. 28 against the Houston Rockets, Randle did show promise and could threaten to be a starter by mid-season if Boozer struggles.
As for Clarkson, the rookie guard appears to be the player that could help shoulder the scoring load off the bench while Nick Young recovers from surgery. Clarkson continued to show he can score in a number of different ways making him that much more valuable for Coach Scott with Young out for eight weeks.
[divide]Lakers Post-Game: Byron Scott Talks Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson Debut
