Wait, wait, wait patiently. Has not the Los Angeles Lakers’ season with LeBron James been an unmitigated disaster?
You can call it , sure. But don’t forget we are talking about James’ initial time in Hollywood. He’s signed on for at least two and, besides shouldering some uncharacteristic blows he looks like the most dominant force of the league.
That’s where the Lakers’ foundation starts. It might be enough on its own to warrant our place.
But there’s more to consider here.
Former No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram was in the middle of a breakout before deep venous thrombosis prematurely ended his third season. The diamond in the rough of last year, kyle Kuzma, has pushed nearly all his counting categories . Lonzo Ball continued flooding stat sheets together with per-36-minute marks of 11.8 points, 6.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds before an ankle injury shut him down.
Kuzma is 23 years old; Ingram and Ball are 21. Whether they are trade chips or building blocks, they remain valuable assets.
They’ll need assistance, if the Lakers will make a tournament run with James. But given their fiscal flexibility, youthful talent and potential top-10 select this summerthey have the capacity to snag a star (or more) for its second straight offseason.
Read more: nbabettingguide.com