Lakers: Young Players Showing Superstar Potential
The Los Angeles Lakers are not only finding their identity within the league but they are also showing off their young talent.
A growing concern among fans is which of their young players, if any, will eventually fill the void and big shoes left behind by the Black Mamba.
Lakers have had some of the biggest stars in history–Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar–the list goes on. These names alone, stand high on the Mount Rushmore of basketball elites, not just for the Los Angeles franchise.Major pressure is burdened by Superstars playing for this organization due to the culture of winning associated with the Lakers. This places the weight of 16 championships on the shoulders of the stars.
There is a ton of pressure playing for this organization due to the culture of winning associated with the Lakers. This places the weight of 16 championships on the shoulders of the young guys.
We have previously seen pressure crush stars within the league, but in this particular case linking to the Lakers, the name that comes to mind more than any was the short stretch where Dwight Howard put on the Purple and Gold. Having to play with constant comparison to the great bigs who dominated within franchise; the Shaqs, the Wilts and the Kareems.
However, there are a few pieces on the team that I believe can live up to their superstar potential.
D’Loading
Starting with D’Angelo, I have high hopes regarding his growth as a nontraditional point guard tanding at 6″5. His ability to see the floor over smaller defenders, in order to distribute the ball is already credible. Especially in an era where PG’s are becoming more score dominant than ever before. His style of play is very effective playing within Luke Walton’s system.
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Regarding his ability to stretch the floor, due to his ability to shoot the three-ball with his quick release.
Russell has a lot of room for improvement, mainly in two areas being his aggressiveness when scoring and defensively. Lakers have a need for him to become more of a threat on the scoreboard, by taking more upon himself. Yet, if developed under the correct circumstances with a focus on those aspects, I see Russell playing similar to Steve Nash in his MVP days due to his current capabilities as a floor general and shooter. His growth between this current and his rookie season is already evident in his maturity on and off the court.
Julius Randle
Julius Randle looks like a promising prospect as a future superstar. We’ve seen through this season that he is an offensive threat. Moreover, alongside Russell, he seems to already be a key cog in the Lakers machine.
This was evident in the period of both their injuries in the early stages of the season. Julius is an aggressive, yet very smart player. His IQ of the game at the power forward position can lead him to play similar to that of a Draymond Green offensively but on a grander scale. His growth will have to come from forming a more consistent jumper considering he’s an undersized four, standing at 6″9.
Swag Bro
Moving onto Jordan Clarkson, who has a reputation for being an adept scorer even though he is coming off the bench. Clarkson could become a dominant guard in the NBA with his athleticism and offensive aggression. He has really grown into his role this season and is seen to have a major responsibility in the team.
Having been able to spend a short span with the Mamba himself, who was more than praised for his scoring prowess as was highlighted during his final game against Utah, it seems that Clarkson has adopted the correct attitude on the offensive end. Yet, he still has some room for improvement in his overall game particularly defensively.
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Assuming the Lakers keep these players together as well as the progressing no 2 draft pick Brandon Ingram. As well as develop and mentor them in the correct way; which I have no doubt is possible with Luke Walton running the show. These young talents could be the future champions for the Los Angeles Lakers.