Rejoice Laker fans! It seems like the end of your suffering may finally be near. After a prolonged retirement ceremony for the great Kobe Bryant, the young talent now has the chance to take the torch and lead this new generation of Lakers to glory. With a new coach and a new system along with the addition of solid veterans and promising rookies, this Laker team looks ready to take the league by storm (within 2-3 years). In this article we’ll be taking a look at the new coach and the promising young core of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Coach:

Luke Walton, once a second round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003 and now the head coach, brings a new offense and defensive mindset for the team. Coach Walton has completely revamped the Lakers’ offensive sets, encouraging more movement off ball leading to far more efficient possessions on offense as seen in their past preseason games. The influence of his time under great coaches like Phil Jackson and Steve Kerr is apparent, and although the weapons at his disposal are different, he has been able to find ways to make players shine. The players love his coaching style and compliment him constantly. One can only drool at the possibilities with him leading the development of the Lakers young stars.

The Sophomores and Junior

Once the young’uns watching in awe of a legend passing the torch, they are now the new stars ready to don the golden armor. While there is a lot of potential surrounding the Lakers young core, there are also a lot of questions. Will Julius Randle be able to develop a jumpshot? Will D’angelo find his niche as a point guard? Will Jordan Clarkson be able to play the two or will he be effective off the bench? Will Larry Nance develop into the all-around player that he has the potential to be? This season all of these questions will continue to swirl around this Laker team and these young stars seem ready to answer their critics.

D’Angelo Russell has been given the keys to the Laker offense and is Luke Walton’s starting point guard. The coaches want him to execute the offense based on his superior feel for the game and it will be exciting to watch his explosiveness and craftiness on display. He has shown the ability to catch fire from three as well as consistently find ways to score from in close and mid-range. Although he showed superior vision in college and flashes of it throughout his rookie season he has not been able to fully grasp the passing potential that he has, often throwing flashy but ineffective passes to his teammates. While his scoring output may increase, look out for his assists to see whether his playmaking improves under the direction of Coach Walton and the increased opportunities in his offense.

Jordan Clarkson was recorded putting in work during the offseason and it has showed so far throughout the preseason. He was the Lakers most consistent offensive threat last year but had questions surrounding his defensive ability. During the offseason Clarkson was shown building strength to deal with the larger guards that he will match up with when playing the two guard next to Russell. Although he hasn’t started, Clarkson’s defensive improvement have been on display the past couple preseason games and if it continues his quickness and decision making could continue to result in many transition fast break opportunities for him on offense. Expect his steals to rise this year along with an improved and more efficient approach to offense.

The seventh pick in the 2014 draft, Julius Randle at times last season could be likened to a bull in a china shop. His aggressive style of play resulted in many possessions with him barreling down the lane and throwing up an ill-advised shot in traffic. He did however show a natural ability to crash the boards, make the right pass and create his own offense averaging a double double during his first full season in the NBA. Although that certainly is impressive it came at the cost of a low FG% for someone who plays so close to the rim. Many wonder whether Randle could develop the handles necessary to take advantage of his point forward potential while also developing into a perimeter threat to space the floor. While competition for the starting spot is fierce between him and the equally talented Larry Nance Jr., Randle is Coach Walton’s starting 4 for now. Although not much is known about Randle’s offseason improvement, there have been reports of him working on his shot and building strength to better battle the bigger power forwards in the league. Look toward his FG% to see whether or not he is showing signs of improvement on offense and hopefully his reworked jumpshot can pay dividends for him soon.

A second first round steal (thank you r/lakers!) in 2015; Larry Nance Jr. showed flashes of his potential as an all-around power forward capable of defending multiple positions as well as seamlessly fitting into any role on offense. Last season he had replaced Julius Randle in the starting lineup during one of Byron Scott’s “lessons” and won the crowd over with his hustle and monstrous dunks. Throughout summer league and the preseason so far Nance has shown an improved shooting touch as well as the potential to be the Lakers best multi-faceted defender. Look forward to seeing more Larry Nance in the Lakers lineups and enjoy.

The Rooks

Although the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on the first pick in the 2016 draft, they did manage to snag a small forward with superstar potential in Brandon Ingram with the second pick and a promising young big man in Ivica Zubac in the second round. Although they weren’t expected to contribute right away, both have shown that their progress may not be as slow as some think.

The second pick in the 2016 draft Brandon Ingram comes to the Lakers with lofty expectations to help the revival of a great franchise that has fallen on hard times. Joining a promising young core, Ingram gives the Lakers a small forward with natural scoring instincts and the tools to become a defensive monster to whom they have entrusted their future. Ingram may look extremely thin at first glance however his impact on the defensive end shows the strength of will that he has and Laker fans should look forward to his continued development into a defensive stalwart for the team. He is more offensively polished than other rookies, but will need time to acclimate to the speed of the game in the NBA. Expect him to be brought along slowly but his defensive impact will definitely shine while his offense will take a backseat until he feels more comfortable with the game.

Zublocka. Zubac. Zubat. Ivica Zubac, a second round pick in the 2016 draft is already looking like a steal by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Zubac was expected to stay overseas for another year but his excitement to join the NBA and the Laker franchise had him come over this year and his potential impact has been on display to Laker fans that have paid attention to Summer League as well as the minutes that he has been getting here and there during the preseason. Polished on offense, Zubac has shown the ability to score on the block as well as flash a midrange jumper to space the floor for the offense. His passing ability is also underrated and his further development on the offensive end will spell trouble for defenses in the future. His defensive impact like Brandon Ingram is immediate right when he steps on the floor. He has good timing on blocks and can alter opponent’s shots at the rim easily with his length. He does however need to get stronger to allow him to get better position for rebounds against stronger Centers. He probably won’t get a lot of playing time until the second half of the season, but it’ll be exciting to watch him.