

Rebuilding in the NBA can be a tricky endeavor. You make a handful of wise major moves, and things can get better quickly. The Thunder and the Spurs post-David Robinson exemplified this. But there's the other side of it, unknowingly entering a purgatory of false starts and lost time. A team can lose decades. Just ask the Hornets (two brief 1st round playoff appearances and mostly losing the last 10 years) and Clippers (losing record from 1994-2004).



Rebuilding in the NBA can be a tricky endeavor. You make a handful of wise major moves, and things can get better quickly. The Thunder and the Spurs post-David Robinson exemplified this. But there's the other side of it, unknowingly entering a purgatory of false starts and lost time. A team can lose decades. Just ask the Hornets (two brief 1st round playoff appearances and mostly losing the last 10 years) and Clippers (losing record from 1994-2004).

My semi-delusional early hopes of Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, Julius Randle and Kobe creating some noise quickly shifted to Lakers fans' new outlook that generally consisted of OK, let's just keep losing and keep our top 5 draft pick.











The one shining beacon we were promised, watching rookie Randle develop into some funky hybrid of Zach Randolph, Paul Millsap, and Lamar Odom, was gone to a broken leg in the very first game of the season.

It was a sign of things to come.





The year of rebuild continued, watching Kobe shoot an average of 20 times a game, converting at a "If I watch another 7-22 game I'm going to be depressed" clip of only 37% . Then he got injured for the season, an inevitable rerun we witness every year now due to age and insane basketball miles achieved by an all-time legend.





The season became a questions game of sorts after Kobe went down. Interesting ideas would fill a fan's head, like:





Are you still considered an NBA team if Robert Sacre is getting regular minutes?





Is Byron Scott really playing Ronnie Price over Jeremy Lin again? Will the league fine him and consider this a blatant sign of tanking, or do they realize Scott probably thinks this is a good decision?





Did I just really spend my night watching this Lakers vs Sixers game like it was the NBA Finals? (The NBA Finals of the draft, that is).





Steve Nash, essentially retired but collecting some final Lakers checks, uploaded an Instagram of himself golfing. Whelp, that can't end well. Isn't avoiding posting stuff like that what publicists are for?





How many "The Timberwolves won a game!!!" Reddit upvote parties will I be attending this year in the name of lottery odds?



Are James Worthy and Robert Horry as miserable as they look on the post-game show, slowly going through every aspect of basketball that exists the Lakers need to improve on to stop losing?



Watch how sad this exchange is after another Lakers loss. They are basically begging the Lakers to show energy and effort, wondering - possibly trying to convince themselves - if Ryan Kelly and Ronnie Price can be the answer to stop the bleeding. RYAN KELLY AND RONNIE PRICE.





Watch how sad this exchange is after another Lakers loss. They are basically begging the Lakers to show energy and effort, wondering - possibly trying to convince themselves - if Ryan Kelly and Ronnie Price can be the answer to stop the bleeding. RYAN KELLY AND RONNIE PRICE.









Clarkson won rookie of the month, putting up numbers like 30 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds on 63% shooting against the Thunder. He showed Westbrook a few times what an undeveloped, but younger version of himself might look like.



Suddenly, the Lakers had the prospect of two pieces of returning young talent in Randle and Clarkson, and a probable top 5 draft pick to build on.





And let's make no mistake - the Lakers should be rebuilding. No patch projects, or overspending on overrated or on the decline veterans. Mitch Kupchak doesn't have the Knicks' James Dolan in his ear to go and spend $14 million a year on Rajan Rondo, and he shouldn't.







Speaking of Rondo, which player would you rather have right now? To be fair to Clarkson not playing many minutes early in the season, let's compare April so far,



17 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds on 47.7% FG shooting. 82% from the free-throw line.

9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds on 43.2 % FG shooting, 38% from the free-throw line.



The first line is 22-year-old Jordan Clarkson, with a 90%+ chance to drastically improve. The 2nd is 29-year-old Rajon Rondo, with a 90%+ chance that he wouldn't drastically improve at his stage in his career. There should be no question that priority #1 for the Lakers is to lock up Clarkson long-term.



Clarkson has been super coachable, learning from Steve Nash's guidance, constantly improving. When the Clippers blitzed him and he struggled, he showed up a week later against the same team and had 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.





Rondo's reputation has been one of a malcontent that will question and clash with teammates and coaches, harnessed perfectly only when all-time legends Doc Rivers, KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen held him in check. Danny Ainge, highly respected "he knows what he's doing" GM of the Celtics, basically gave up on Rondo being the point guard to a young team on the rebuild (sound familiar?), essentially getting what ultimately amounted to a 1st round draft pick, a trade exception, and some 2nd rounders for him.



Clarkson embodies where the NBA is going - position-less, great athlete, can get to and finish at the rim with explosive power while showing promise of knocking down the shot from distance, along with being a good passer and team player.



The Lakers should have an interesting summer. They should try to do the obvious - rebuild with youth, max offers on guys that make sense with where the NBA continues to favor - perimeter game and defense still being key (think Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, not Rondo or Greg Monroe).





The last bit is painful. Byron Scott took one for the team by coaching this year. But it's time the Lakers pick a coach that's generally considered a top thinker in the field, or at least considered above average by expert consensus.



Scott does not fit that model, ranked #29 in NBA coaches right now in a front office poll (thanks for taking spot #30, Derek Fisher!). Scott wraps himself in a space blanket like Chuck McGill from Better Call Saul, like technology and advancement is out to get him. Grinding defense and old-school hustle is what he preaches, yet the Lakers rank 29th in defensive efficiency.



His refusal and lack of game planning for the continued growing trend of efficient 3-point shooting (especially from the corners) to win basketball games is disappointing. He assigned heavy minutes to Kobe, a decidedly anti-Gregg Popovich move that Scott himself took blame for to contributing to Kobe's injury. His reputation of "I don't believe in analytics" and not using SportsVU is borderline offensive.



Can you imagine how much more someone like Clarkson would learn about the game under a Popovich type coach, a Brad Stevens up-and-commer? A coaching replacement would be a giant upgrade that doesn't affect cap space.



It's been three years of injuries and disappointment, but the dark cloud over the Lakers is finally lifting - I can feel it in the air. The youth cavalry are coming - under the sage guidance of Kobe on an expiring contract. Tons of cap space, picks, and the lure of playing in Los Angeles. Put on your scouting hats and enjoy the draft, Lakers fans.



In Mitch we trust.











Just when things couldn't get any worse, a diamond in the rough appeared. A glimmer of hope for the future. A combo type guard selected a late 46th in the draft, Jordan Clarkson (athlete, 6'5, with a 6'8 wingspan - huge for a point guard) started to take control of the Lakers.Clarkson won rookie of the month, putting up numbers like 30 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds on 63% shooting against the Thunder. He showed Westbrook a few times what an undeveloped, but younger version of himself might look like.Suddenly, the Lakers had the prospect of two pieces of returning young talent in Randle and Clarkson, and a probable top 5 draft pick to build on.And let's make no mistake - the Lakers should be rebuilding. No patch projects, or overspending on overrated or on the decline veterans. Mitch Kupchak doesn't have the Knicks' James Dolan in his ear to go and spend $14 million a year on Rajan Rondo, and he shouldn't.Speaking of Rondo, which player would you rather have right now? To be fair to Clarkson not playing many minutes early in the season, let's compare April so far,17 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds on 47.7% FG shooting. 82% from the free-throw line.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds on 43.2 % FG shooting, 38% from the free-throw line.The first line is 22-year-old Jordan Clarkson, with a 90%+ chance to drastically improve. The 2nd is 29-year-old Rajon Rondo, with a 90%+ chance that he wouldn't drastically improve at his stage in his career. There should be no question that priority #1 for the Lakers is to lock up Clarkson long-term.Clarkson has been super coachable, learning from Steve Nash's guidance, constantly improving. When the Clippers blitzed him and he struggled, he showed up a week later against the same team and had 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.Rondo's reputation has been one of a malcontent that will question and clash with teammates and coaches, harnessed perfectly only when all-time legends Doc Rivers, KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen held him in check. Danny Ainge, highly respected "he knows what he's doing" GM of the Celtics, basically gave up on Rondo being the point guard to a young team on the rebuild (sound familiar?), essentially getting what ultimately amounted to a 1st round draft pick, a trade exception, and some 2nd rounders for him.Clarkson embodies where the NBA is going - position-less, great athlete, can get to and finish at the rim with explosive power while showing promise of knocking down the shot from distance, along with being a good passer and team player.The Lakers should have an interesting summer. They should try to do the obvious - rebuild with youth, max offers on guys that make sense with where the NBA continues to favor - perimeter game and defense still being key (think Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, not Rondo or Greg Monroe).The last bit is painful. Byron Scott took one for the team by coaching this year. But it's time the Lakers pick a coach that's generally considered a top thinker in the field, or at least considered above average by expert consensus.Scott does not fit that model, ranked #29 in NBA coaches right now in a front office poll (thanks for taking spot #30, Derek Fisher!). Scott wraps himself in a space blanket like Chuck McGill from Better Call Saul, like technology and advancement is out to get him. Grinding defense and old-school hustle is what he preaches, yet the Lakers rank 29th in defensive efficiency.His refusal and lack of game planning for the continued growing trend of efficient 3-point shooting (especially from the corners) to win basketball games is disappointing. He assigned heavy minutes to Kobe, a decidedly anti-Gregg Popovich move that Scott himself took blame for to contributing to Kobe's injury. His reputation of "I don't believe in analytics" and not using SportsVU is borderline offensive.Can you imagine how much more someone like Clarkson would learn about the game under a Popovich type coach, a Brad Stevens up-and-commer? A coaching replacement would be a giant upgrade that doesn't affect cap space.It's been three years of injuries and disappointment, but the dark cloud over the Lakers is finally lifting - I can feel it in the air. The youth cavalry are coming - under the sage guidance of Kobe on an expiring contract. Tons of cap space, picks, and the lure of playing in Los Angeles. Put on your scouting hats and enjoy the draft, Lakers fans.In Mitch we trust.







