Today is the first day of the dawn of a new era for the Los Angeles Lakers. It is the moment Laker fans have been anxiously awaiting since last season came to a merciful end. First there was the uncertainty that the team would retain its top pick at all. Thankfully, the franchise not only endured that nail-biting moment, it was the only lottery team to move up in the order reaching all the way to number 2. Perhaps that was the sign of good fortune ahead, or so Laker fans hope. Now, after what seems like an eternity of rumors and speculation which were enough to drive us all crazy, we will finally be able to separate fact from fiction and learn who the Lakers will select with their highest draft choice in more than three decades.
-== 5 Reasons Why Lakers Must Succeed in Free Agency ==-
Barring a shocking last minute twist, Jahlil Okafor is about to become a Laker. This is something the Lakers could never have imagined a few short weeks ago, the chance to grab a big man who has been a winner at virtually every level of competition, a high quality guy both on and off the court, and someone who has the poise and polish to become the face of a franchise.
Okafor is still only 19 and has plenty of room to develop the all-around game some feel he currently lacks, and in the process, we will get to watch a true center who almost everyone agrees is the biggest offensive force in the post to emerge from the college ranks in years. With all due respect to DeMarcus Cousins, I just cannot see his dour expression and abrasive personality becoming the identity of the Los Angeles Lakers.
By tonight, the Lakers could be looking at a starting line-up of Okafor, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and Kobe Bryant. Plus the team will have promising young players coming off the bench like Tarik Black, Jabari Brown, Ed Davis (maybe), and one or two additional rookies who will be drafted along with Okafor. This will free the Lakers to concentrate all their money and attention this summer on attracting a top flight free agent wing player to join this line up, say Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, or Tobias Harris, and a couple of perimeter shooters to come off the bench. I am not sure how a team with these players will fare, but I know it will bring hope and youthful excitement that Laker fans have not experienced in quite a while.
More from Lake Show Life
- Darvin Ham adds to Max Christie hype train after Lakers preseason opener
- Is LeBron James playing tonight? Latest Lakers vs Warriors update
- Can Darvin Ham put all of the Lakers puzzle pieces together?
- Lakers news: Darvin Ham knows his fifth starter, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino praise
- Michael Malone’s painfully ironic comment has Lakers fans heated
As if the draft does not provide enough thrills, on July 1 free agency will begin. The Lakers have promised to be aggressive. They have cap space. There are many possibilities at almost every position. Laker fans will be holding their collective breath for the entire month of June as names like Kevin Love, Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, and many others are tossed around.
It may take a couple of months for the dust to fully clear, but in the end, when the 2015-16 Lakers roster is in place, it will hopefully mark the beginning of a big time come-back for the purple and gold. Let’s all sit back, keep our fingers crossed, and enjoy the process.