Alright Laker Nation, welcome in to the annual "Season in Review" post for the 2016-17 Los Angeles Lakers. Thank you guys for waiting patiently as I put this together. Like many previous "Season in Review" posts, I give a condensed summary on the entire 82-game season and address offseason needs and who I think the Lakers should draft should they retain the top 3 pick.
To reiterate on this season, this was the official "Year 1" of the rebuilding process. This was a season where we wanted to see the young players grow and develop. Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and Ivica Zubac headlined a promising young core for the Lakers' future. In the beginning of the season, the Lakers looked like a surprise team, notching notable wins against the Houston Rockets and their high-powered offense during opening night and against the Golden State Warriors super squad in early November. They were off to a .500 start under Luke Walton and shocking the NBA world early on. Then, injuries and inconsistency got in the way and they couldn't figure out how to win a road game. And ultimately, the team went into tank mode for the top 3 pick. Though, they did went on that 5-game win streak at the end of the season in what was a subliminal audition for the players to convince Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka that they deserve a roster spot. Players such as Tyler Ennis, Thomas Robinson, Tarik Black, David Nwaba, and the veteran Corey Brewer all gave 100% effort during those games.
Evaluating the young players, Jordan Clarkson was arguably the most consistent out of the bunch. JC provided double-figure scoring as a bench player and as a starter. Nance Jr., despite the injuries, established himself as the "sparkplug" of the team with his hustle and energy. Ivica Zubac had a small sample size, but he looked good for the most part, outplaying overpaid Timofey Mozgov. Julius Randle, stuffed the stats sheet in the points and rebounds category like last year, but he still needs to clean up his out-of-control play and defense. D'Angelo Russell, it was a tale of two halves for him. Before the Lou Williams trade, D'Lo was off to a slow start and didn't see the floor whenever Sweet Lou went on a scoring run. Since the trade, D'Lo played a lot better and later in the season, we've found out the he was better suited playing as a Shooting Guard. Vice versa, Brandon Ingram went through a similar stage. Luke Walton didn't want to give him the reins yet and started Luol Deng at Small Forward. Ingram was terrible to start and that's what you'd expect out of a rookie, he'll struggle. But, I was impressed to see his improvement in the 2nd half of the season. He shrugged off the hesitation and started to trust his jump shot and trust his ability to attack the basket more. Ingram's barely scratched his ceiling and he'll get better from here on out. There's a lot of room for improvement for the Lakers' young core. I was fortunate to cover the March 9 game against the Suns. If there's any indication on the potential of this young core, that game was the one because all six players finished in double figures, playing their most complete game in their young careers.
The major headline about this offseason going forward is that the Lakers' future is going to be in the hands of Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, and Rob Pelinka. There's a lot of uncertainty on the players' future on this team. If it were up to me, I wouldn't break up this young core. I'd give it one more year before the Lakers start trading some of their young assets. Once their rookie deals are up, they'll likely demand a big payday and the Lakers like many other teams can't keep them all. As for the other players on this roster, I liked the efforts from David Nwaba, Tyler Ennis, Thomas Robinson, and Tarik Black, but obviously they need better upgrades over those players. I personally think Corey Brewer is a keeper because he plays hard and he's been a fantastic veteran presence since he arrived in L.A. The Lakers have to find a way to get rid of Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov's big contracts. I liked their additions as veterans, but their contracts were highly questionable. The best scenario is to get them both to restructure their deals if they want to continue to provide veteran mentoring to this team. I don't see Nick Young coming back. Metta World Peace hinted that the Lakers would not bring him back. Although, I would love to see MWP as an assistant coach and coach this young team to play better defense. The Lakers were preparing him for that gig since he came back last year. As for the draft, the Lakers have the third worst record, so they're on the borderline of keeping the top 3 pick or losing it to Philadelphia. We've seen crazy things happen in the draft lottery, so the Lakers have hope of getting the #1 pick over Phoenix and Brooklyn. Lonzo Ball impressed me during March Madness, but this draft is wide open for teams in need of a franchise Point Guard.
In closing, there's a lot of talent with untapped potential on this current Lakers squad. As fans, we have to continue to let this process play out. As I said, this season was the official "Year 1" of the Lakers' rebuilding project. I'm not going to count the last three seasons as they were desperate attempts to field a "win-now" team for Kobe Bryant, which backfired miserably. The young core will continue to put in the work. I have great confidence that Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and Luke Walton will work cohesively and lay out a stable foundation in bringing the Lakers back to prominence. Thank you for following my coverage of the Lakers' 2016-17 season. Here's to more positive progress in 2017-18!
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