D'Angelo Russell looks like the point guard of the future. Julius Randle looks like a surefire starter for a long time at power forward, and Brandon Ingram—the second pick in the 2016 NBA draft—has the upside to be one of the league's best players in time.
Oh, and to top it all off, the Lakers have a new head coach in Luke Walton and the cap space to chase the free-agent market's biggest names.
It might all sound too good to be true, and maybe it is. The young core will, in fact, take a long time to mesh together with a new coach and fight for a playoff spot. And if the last few seasons have been any sign, Los Angeles isn't exactly the hottest free-agent destination right now.
Still, those factors don't make the latest news and rumors around the organization any less notable.
Indeed, much of the news surrounding the Lakers cites the obvious—the team will be much different than last year's version. A note by Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times from a Walton meet-and-greet with the media says it all:
Gone are the days when one had to wonder if Byron Scott was running Kobe Bryant into the ground. Gone are the days when folks scratched their heads in confusion as the team cared more about a retirement tour than getting younger players significant playing time and experience.
Last year, the Lakers slowed it down while Bryant averaged 28.2 minutes per game. Incredibly, he averaged 16.9 attempted field goals per game, a full three more than the next closest player (Jordan Clarkson) and many more than both Russell (12.0) and Randle (10.3).
Long story short, it sounds like the Lakers have a mind to let the young guys run wild next season, free-agent additions or not.
This includes Ingram, who just averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds with the Duke Blue Devils. That s...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
