Jordan Clarkson puts up big D-League numbers

The Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson spits out silly video-game numbers whenever he plays in the Development League, including 35 points and 11 assists from the rookie point guard last week against the Reno Bighorns.

But one person isn’t impressed: Lakers Coach Byron Scott.

He knows that defenses rarely care in those games as players try to inflate their numbers to attract NBA decision-makers. Clarkson has been sent down by the Lakers to play five D-League games the last two months, only to be recalled the following day.

“It’s just a good workout for him,� Scott said. “He’s getting up and down the floor and he’s getting a little bit of a sense of timing. Most of the time when he comes in [the next day], I ask him, ‘Did you guys win or lose?’ And he says, ‘Oh, Coach, we lost.’

“And I say, ‘We sent you down and Tarik [Black] and you guys lose?’ But then I look at the score and it’s something ridiculous.�

Indeed, both Lakers rookies couldn’t help the L.A. D-Fenders avoid last week’s 174-169 loss to Reno. Black, recently claimed off waivers by the Lakers, had 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Not that Scott closely studied the stats.

“I don’t evaluate those games. I don’t even try,� he said. “I don’t look at his box scores and things like that. I’ll ask [Clarkson] personally how did he think he played and then I’ll always ask him, ‘Who did you guard and what did he have?’�

One stat Scott noticed: Clarkson had a career-high 14 points in 20 minutes Wednesday against the Clippers, one of few positive Lakers tidbits crawling out of a numbing 114-89 loss.

Clarkson’s quickness is sometimes ineffective, Scott has said — he has to learn to mix speeds, perhaps slowing town a touch before blowing past someone — but he’ll get plenty of chances to improve. He was averaging 4.9 points a game before Friday.

“I really think that in the next 15 to 20 games, he’ll start getting in a little bit more on a consistent basis and then we’ll see what happens,� Scott said.

Scott on Vaughn

Before Monday night’s game against the Magic, a reporter noted that Orlando Coach Jacque Vaughn was a fan of Scott’s during Scott’s playing days, even waiting outside the Forum in hopes of getting Scott’s autograph.

Scott said he didn’t know Vaughn well but “always liked Jacque back in his days of playing, I used to watch him play at Kansas. He’s a Pasadena [Muir High] kid so obviously I followed him.�

Then Scott added with a smile: “You can go over and tell him right now he can come over and I’ll give him my autograph.�

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Times correspondent Eric Pincus contributed to this report.