With Low Expectations, The Lakers Aim To Surprise

For the Lakers to surprise this season and contend for a top 5 seed in the Western Conference, Byron Scott must use all of his roster and find workable combinations, something Mike D’Antoni struggled with greatly. Scott must also find roles for rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. Rebuilding teams folly by not playing its young players in low expectation environments, both for their own individual development and as potential trade bait.

Quiet is kept the Western Conference has fallen back going into this season. Houston is visibly weakened. Minnesota is decimated. The Grizzlies, Suns, and Warriors are treading water. The lower seeds in the West are up for grabs.

With a healthy Kobe Bryant all things are possible. The Lakers are positioned to make a quiet run to the playoffs this year with a much improved roster that collectively is athletic and hard nosed. Its easy to write off a franchise that has seen better days, but remember how the 2007-08 season started, what the expectations were and how it ended.

Past is prologue. For Lakers fans that’s what we count on.