LA Lakers 2017-18 Season Preview

Despite not being projected as a top western conference team, the Los Angeles Lakers will garner much attention next season. Want proof? The Lakers are set to make a combined 35 national television appearances next season with only four teams having more appearances. The team is coming off a 26-56 season in which they were nearly the worst team in the league. However, with a few key roster changes, next year looks to be a key building year as the franchise continues to develop and position itself for future success.

FIVE GUYS THINK…

Magic Johnson promised to restore the Los Angeles Lakers to their glory days when he was hired as the team’s president of basketball operations.

So far, the Hall of Famer has been slapped with tampering charges from the NBA in reference to the Lakers contact with Paul George, and has drafted a point guard with a father who seems hell-bent on dominating the news headlines.

However, Magic has positioned the Lakers to return to the good ol’ days following another lackluster season. Despite the talent of Lonzo Ball, a 19-year-old point guard will still more than likely struggle to win his team games. What he will do, though, is showcase his talent and playmaking ability for free agents when Los Angeles enters next summer with deep pockets. (Paul George already seems interested, how about you, LeBron?)

With Ball handling the rock, Brandon Ingram entering year two, and new management across the board, brighter days are ahead for the Hollywood franchise. They just need to get past next season’s below-average results.

4th place — Pacific Division

– Dennis Chambers

Amazingly, it seems that the Lakers and their fortunes have changed overnight. Lonzo Ball is entering the league with some heavy expectations, while Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have combined to give the front office an aura of respectability that has been missing for quite some time.

For the Lakers, though, the coming season is likely to be a long one. Aside from Ball, the acquisitions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez should help the team improve upon the 26 wins they clocked last season, but at the end of the day, the playoffs are an at-best and perhaps unrealistic goal.

Still, things appear to be headed in the right direction, so for Lakers fans, this coming season may be the last in the cellar—especially if the team is able to actually secure the services of LeBron James next summer.

I think the Suns are probably a notch below at this point, and the Kings have a respectable cast of characters, as well. The only two teams in the division that I can say are better off are the Clippers and Warriors, so a division-finish as high as third for the Lakers wouldn’t surprise me, especially with Luke Walton at the helm.

3rd Place — Pacific Division

— Moke Hamilton

With rumors already swirling loudly about their potential 2018 summer free agency pursuits, there are a few factors up for debate in Los Angeles this year. Do young guys like Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle remain building blocks for the future, or are they considered as pieces to help move salary and open up space for big names next summer? Does newly-acquired Brook Lopez play a legitimate on-court role, or was he mostly salary fodder to move on from Timo Mozgov’s contract? Just about the only thing we know for sure for this team on the court this season: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma are going to get a lot of chances to show their potential and learn on the fly. How many wins the Lakers reach may ultimately depend on the larger direction management takes, but until starrier names sign on the dotted line next summer, these kids are the future. The Lakers should compete with the Suns for the bottom seed in the Pacific.

4th place — Pacific Division

– Ben Dowsett

To say anything less than, “The Los Angeles Lakers will win the 2017 NBA championship” is to draw the ire of Lakers fans worldwide, but here we go anyway: The Los Angeles Lakers will not win the 2017 NBA championship. In fact, they won’t even make the playoffs next spring. Lonzo Ball has been a lot of “fun” so far, but the core of this organization is still incredibly young, all of which is a good reminder that this season is, more than anything, a test run for the imminent arrival of max free agents next summer, as Magic attempts to turn Hollywood into a desirable free agency destination once again. There is plenty to love about this team as constructed, but the kids are still young and it probably will be quite a circus this season. With potentially bigger talent joining this group down the road, however, this circus could just be getting started.

4th Place – Pacific Division

– Joel Brigham

The Los Angeles Lakers had an interesting offseason. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelina traded D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov in exchange for Brook Lopez and the rights to the 27th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (Kyle Kuzma). Trading Russell was the price of the last front office regime signing Mozgov to a deal that was considered an albatross from the moment it was agreed to. However, Russell was a divisive figure in the Lakers’ locker room and now the team can build around their new talented point guard of the future — Lonzo Ball. Ball has prodigious passing and playmaking talent and will likely make a positive impact early on in the season. This is a developmental season for the Lakers, so making the playoffs should not be the priority. Players like Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. neeed to take another positive step forward in their respective development as the Lakers will be looking to attract the biggest free agents next offseason.

3rd Place — Pacific Division

– Jesse Blancarte

TOP OF THE LIST

Top Offensive Player – Brook Lopez

Three of the top five offensive players from last season (Lou Williams, D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young) no longer hold a spot on this year’s roster. Brook Lopez was brought in via trade when the Lakers unloaded Timofey Mozgov’s contract, which required moving Russell. Lopez has averaged over 20 points a game the last two seasons (20.5 and 20.6) and has been accustomed to being the focal point of the offense for some time with the Nets. Expect Lopez to continue flexing his muscle down low as one the league’s true centers capable of effectively scoring in the post, as well as stretching the floor with his three-point shooting. Doing so will do wonders for a Lakers offense that often lacked proper spacing in recent seasons. Although his time with the Lakers may be brief (Lopez is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season), expect the Lakers to lean on Lopez for consistent offensive production.

Top Defensive Player – Brook Lopez

The Lakers have a lot of young talent, but they don’t necessarily have a lockdown defender on the roster. Though he isn’t known as a top defensive center, Lopez is capable of providing solid rim protection and making opponents think twice about driving into the lane. With a player of Lopez’s size and intelligence anchoring the defense, look for the Lakers to utilize small ball line-ups around him to funnel drives to Lopez, who blocked 1.6 blocks per game last season (8th in the league). However, it’s worth remembering that the Lakers are coming off a year in which they ranked 30th of 30 teams on defense. With that in mind, don’t expect a huge leap forward on this end of the court this season.

Top Playmaker – Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball is one of the most talked about rookie in years. With no shortage of hype, the basketball world will be watching to see if his play on the court can match the hype. Despite this and the pressure of playing for the Lakers, Ball has a chance as the starting point guard to use his pinpoint passing and excellent court vision to quickly become the Lakers’ top playmaker. How well Ball physically holds up to the rigors of his first NBA season will determine how effective he can be in this role this season. True rookies, even with ample playing time, don’t often make great contributions in their inaugural season. Expect Ball to be the exception.

Top Clutch Player – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The absence of Lou Williams and, to a lesser extent, D’Angelo Russell hurts in this category. With Williams, Russell and Young off the team, look for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to try and fill the shoes here. KCP is on a one-year deal and will want to make the most of his season with the Lakers, so look for him to be aggressive, especially on offense. With a good free throw percentage (83.2), three-point percentage (35.0) and improved ability to move the ball (career high 2.5 assists last season), expect the Lakers to trust KCP in high-pressure late game situations. Brandon Ingram could also step into this role potentially. However, Ingram’s shooting and ability to generate separation from his defenders consistently will need to improve for this to happen.

The Unheralded Player – Julius Randle

Entering his fourth year, forward Julius Randle continues to improve and has the opportunity to make huge strides this season. Randle is in great shape and wanted the league to take notice of his offseason workouts. Randle has already demonstrated that he is capable of doing serious damage offensively near the rim and in transition. He also shown that he has the strength to be physical with bigger, more experience players on both ends of the court. Also, as mentioned above, the improved spacing provided by Lopez and the emphasis on passing, through the addition of Ball and Coach Luke Walton’s offense, should benefit Randle greatly. Randle stands to improve as a shooter, which would open up his game even more. Time will tell how far Randle has developed in that department. Expect Randle to turn the corner this season and show that he is worth investing in as a long-term piece for this Lakers team.

Best New Addition – Lonzo Ball

While Lopez will likely make the biggest impact immediately, Ball is the key addition to the franchise. With him, the team has a foundational piece to build around and grow alongside the team’s other young players. In addition, Ball’s ability, willingness and desire to make those around him better through his passing and playmaking abilities will endear him to teammates and fans alike.

– James Blancarte

WHO WE LIKE

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the perfect kind of signing for the Lakers. He is on a one-year contract, which provides the Lakers with flexibility when they have the chance to potentially sign big name players (e.g., Paul George) next offseason. KCP brings outside shooting, an emerging ability to run the pick and roll and defensive impact and consistency. Don’t be surprised if KCP puts in maximum effort this season and hits a new gear considering he is looking for the long-term contract that eluded him this offseason.

2. Lakers Management

President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka deserve credit. Their front office has managed a team with a promising core and supplemented that with expiring contracts and loads of cap space. The signings of Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng were disastrous, but they happened under the last regime and unloading Mozgov’s salary should pay off somewhat quickly, despite the loss of Russell. After making some savvy moves, the pair is positioned to make some serious acquisitions next offseason, which could catapult the Lakers back into contention for the first time in years. If the team strikes out, look for Lakers management to continue investing in and bolstering the young core of talent while maintaining long term cap flexibility.

3. Brook Lopez

As explained above, Lopez should quickly become an anchor for this team on both ends of the court. He may not be a perfect fit in the small-ball era of the NBA, but Lopez is still a very productive player. His ability to knock down three-pointers is a nice bonus that should pay off in a significant way – especially if Coach Walton can find creative ways to utilize it within the team’s offense.

4. Luke Walton

Remember the remarkable streak of success that Coach Walton experienced when manning the helm for the Golden State Warriors during their record breaking season in 2015-16? It certainly feels like a long time ago. Despite the fact that the Lakers went 26-56 last season, Walton immediately brought a new sense of cohesion to the Lakers. Walton is a player’s coach and quickly worked to establish a bond and sense of trust between himself and his players. The team is young and played inconsistently last season, but the positive change in culture was apparent. Coach Walton also continues to implement a modern offense, which has helped bring the Lakers into the modern era of NBA basketball. If the Lakers win more games than they are projected to this season, Walton’s coaching will likely be a big reason why.

– James Blancarte

SALARY CAP 101

The Lakers have been clear that their primary goal is to open two maximum-salary slots in the summer of 2018. While they’re not quite there yet, moving off the contract of Jordan Clarkson via trade, letting Julius Randle walk as an unrestricted free agent and stretching the final two years of Luol Deng’s contract would put the Lakers at roughly $70 million in space next year (with a $102 million cap projection). Trading Deng could help the Lakers keep one of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez, Clarkson or Randle, while still maintaining room for two max players.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are expected to use their $4.3 million Room Exception before the season on forward Shabazz Muhammad. Once completed, Los Angeles will have 15 players under guaranteed contract, which doesn’t bode well for camp invites Vander Blue, Briante Weber, Stephen Zimmerman and V.J. Beachem. The Lakers do not have a first-round pick next June. Per the Stepien Rule, the Lakers cannot trade their 2019 first until after the 2018 NBA Draft.

– Eric Pincus

STRENGTHS

Youth, financial flexibility and perspective. The Lakers have one of the best cores of young talent in the NBA. Developing these foundational players is what matters most for this team, especially considering how much financial flexibility the team will likely have next offseason. The Lakers understand that they aren’t going to win a championship this season and could even miss the playoffs again. However, if their core players all show great improvement and signs of being future stars, the team could make a serious pitch to big time free agents next summer. Keeping this perspective in mind will help the team overcome the crushing weight of expectations in L.A. and will help to keep their collective eye on what matters most moving forward.

– James Blancarte

WEAKNESSES

Defense. The Lakers ranked dead last in defense last season. Despite adding Lopez, the team will continue to rely on a number of young, developing players, which doesn’t bode well on this end of the court. Expect the team defense to move up a few spots with Lopez manning the middle, but not by much.

– James Blancarte

THE BURNING QUESTION

Should Lakers fans have realistic hope that the team can be competitive enough to make the playoffs?

In short, they should not. Despite all of the positives mentioned above, the Lakers youthful core is too inexperienced to be truly competitive. The western conference is as strong as ever and the Lakers simply don’t have the veteran talent, depth or experience to be a serious playoff contender next season.

– James Blancarte