Two of Los Angeles Lakers' budding young players were selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge which is a part of the All-Star Weekend that will be held in Toronto, Canada on Feb. 12–14, 2016.
Lakers second-year shooting guard Jordan Clarkson and 2015 second-overall pick point guard D'Angelo Russell were among the ones selected by National Basketball Association (NBA) assistant coaches to take part in the exhibition game.
"I think it says a lot of people see a lot of promise in them, that they've had a pretty good season so far," Lakers head coach Byron Scott said, according to ESPN.
"But what it tells me is that they still have a ways to go. They have to continue to work," Scott added.
The Lakers head coach continued that it should not stop there, hoping that both Clarkson and Russell are aiming to play in an All-Star Game and can do that in the coming years.
Clarkson and Russell are playing great for the hapless Lakers and the two are among the few bright spots the team has this 2015–16 regular season.
Currently, Clarkson is the third-leading scorer for the Clippers, averaging 15.1 points per game, along with 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals.
Meanwhile, Russell follows Clarkson averaging 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.
"You see who's really separating themselves from the younger guys in this league and to be listed as one of them is a heck of an experience," Russell said about the selection Wednesday, according to Lakers Nation.
Sadly, two notable young players from the Lakers that were not selected are second-year forward Julius Randle and explosive rookie Larry Nance Jr.
All these young players are expected to take the helm once franchise star Kobe Bryant retires after this season, which is another bad year for the team.
The Clippers are last in the Western Conference with a 9–38 record and are set to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
