Losing streak follows players even down to the D-League
The Lakers’ losing ways even followed two of their players down to the Development League.
Xavier Henry and rookie Jordan Clarkson were sent down for one game with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate.
Henry and Clarkson played well, but the D-Fenders lost to the Texas Legends, 130-108, on Saturday.
“I’m surprised they got their butt kicked,” Lakers Coach Byron Scott said Sunday.
Win or lose, it didn’t really matter for Henry and Clarkson. They needed the extra work.
Henry played unexpectedly well for the Lakers last season, averaging a career-high 10 points until his season was cut short by knee and wrist injuries. Despite being little more than a training-camp signee, he earned respect for his hard-charging style that included plenty of crashes to the basket and trips to the free-throw line.
But Henry has been substantially less effective this season, missing almost all of the preseason because of soreness in the same knee that required a trip to Germany for treatment on it last month.
Henry, 23, is averaging only 2.1 points in the regular season after scoring eight in the meaningless fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 136-115 loss Sunday to Golden State.
“ ‘X’ is just trying to get back to who he is,” Scott said. “It’s really just trying to find out if he’s going to be the player that he was last year before the injuries or if he’ll be a different type of player. Which means he’ll have to adjust his game.
“We’re hoping that something happens where he can all of a sudden have the explosiveness that he had, that I saw last year.”
Henry had 33 points in the Development League game, while Clarkson had 28 points and five assists.
Clarkson was briefly sent down to the D-Fenders because his playing time had been shrinking with the Lakers.
“Jordan just needs the experience of just playing,” Scott said.
Clarkson is averaging 4.9 points for the Lakers after scoring 10 against the Warriors.
He had some solid plays when the game was already out of reach, taking it fearlessly at Warriors center Marreese Speights and scoring on a layup. Then he stole the ball at the other end and scored on a 19-foot jump shot a few seconds later.
Bryant still climbing
Kobe Bryant already holds Lakers career records for points, games played, field goals, three-pointers, free throws and steals.
He’s still progressing in categories not typically associated with him.
On Sunday, he passed Vlade Divac for sixth in Lakers career offensive rebounds (1,439). Also, he is within one blocked shot of tying James Worthy for sixth with 624.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the Lakers’ all-time leader in offensive rebounds (2,494) and blocked shots (2,694).
Bresnahan is a Times staff writer. Pincus is a Times correspondent.
Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan
Twitter: Eric Pincus
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