7 Things the Lakers Need to Figure Out Before 2013-14 NBA Season Begins

Eight weeks may seem like an eternity to you and me, but to the Los Angeles Lakers, the current chronological chasm that stands between now and the start of the 2013-14 NBA season looks more like a time crunch.

The Lakers have plenty with which to concern themselves over the next two months. Mike D'Antoni will spend September sorting out specific duties and philosophical discrepancies with his revamped coaching staff in preparation for an all-important training camp. Likewise, general manager Mitch Kupchak and his front office will be scouring the basketball world for players worthy of invitations to training camp in October.

Which is when the real fun begins. The new arrivals will be busy acquainting themselves with the Purple and Gold, while holdovers like Steve Nash and Pau Gasol carefully wean themselves back onto a steady diet of hoops.

All of which pales in importance to the biggest question mark of them all: Kobe Bryant.

Here's a quick rundown, then, of what's likely on the Lakers' agenda in the lead-up to opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 29.

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