Five Things the Lakers Must Do to Make a Playoff Run This Season

Hannah Kulik

October 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts with forward Julius Randle (30) after a foul is drawn against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No impartial, rational thinking person believes the Los Angeles Lakers are going to make the playoffs in the 2015-16 season.

Even with a seemingly improved line-up, ESPN recently projected the team to win a mere 26 games and finish 14th out of 15 Western Conference teams.

With all due respect to ESPN, the Lakers are likely to finish better than that, but is the prospect of making the playoffs still a laughable delusion?

If the stars align just right, is there enough talent to finish among the best eight teams?

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Many, including the media, would still say no, but it’s not as cut and dry as one might think.

It would take something cataclysmic for the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzles not to make the playoffs. That leaves three remaining spots in the west.

The media is also predicting the Oklahoma City Thunder will make the cut, and many have the Thunder ranked second or third in the conference.

Haven’t Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant missed a great deal of time due to injuries the past two seasons?

Isn’t Durant questionable going into this year due to the nature of his foot condition?

The Portland Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks have regressed. Other teams such as the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz either have big question marks, gone through major personnel changes, or have yet to accomplish anything.

If the Lakers, who are still a long-shot to make the playoffs, can accomplish the following five goals it is at least conceivable they could sneak into the seventh or eighth seed.

Next: Stay Healthy

November 16, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti treats guard Kobe Bryant (24) for an injury suffered against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Stay Healthy

While it is popular to blame the players, coaches, and front office for the team’s failures in recent seasons, the biggest reason the Lakers have played so poorly is the unbelievable amount of injuries the team has endured during that stretch.

Three seasons ago, the Lakers starting line-up was Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, and Metta World Peace. The team looked capable of winning a championship on paper, but all five starters were injured at some point during the season.

Major injuries were suffered by key reserves like Steve Blake and Jordan Hill as well. At season’s end, the team was so crippled that their starting backcourt for the last two games of the 2013 playoffs consisted of Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock.

The next season the Lakers assembled a young and potentially exciting roster. Players such as Xavier Henry, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Farmar, Kent Bazemore, Kendall Marshall, and Nick Young thrived in Mike D’Antoni‘s offensive system.

Gasol was still there, as were key reserves like Blake, Hill, and Chris Kaman. The Lakers shocked the Clippers in the first game of the season and had a winning record (10-10) after 20 games.

Oct 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) is tended to after an injury during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

That’s when the injuries set in and the squad was decimated. There were more than a few instances throughout the season when the team only had eight available players.

In one particular game, the Lakers didn’t have enough players to finish and would’ve forfeited if it wasn’t for an archaic rule that allowed them to keep going with a player that had fouled out.

Last season, the front office assembled a poor roster. The Lakers played hard for most of the season, but with such a limited talent pool the team couldn’t overcome the constant string of injuries including the premature loss of Bryant for the third year in a row.

Heralded rookie Julius Randle didn’t even make it through the first game before breaking his right leg. Henry’s career may have ended with one last devastating Achilles injury. Young was injured off and on throughout the season and never regained his form the year before.

The list of injured players goes on and on, and the result was the worst record in franchise history.

The number one goal for the Lakers this season has to be, stay healthy. If any NBA team is to compete for the playoffs, let alone a championship, it must avoid losing its key players.

If Stephen Curry got injured and missed the upcoming season, the Warriors would struggle to make the playoffs and certainly wouldn’t repeat as champions.

The Thunder won’t compete at an elite level unless Durant remains healthy and regains his prior form. The same could be said for Houston without James Harden and the Clippers without Chris Paul.

Laker doctors better figure out why the team has suffered so many injuries the past three years and do something about it.

Next: Hibbert Must Dominate On Defense

Jan 27, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) blocks a shot taken by Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson (15) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Toronto defeats Indiana 104-91. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

2. Roy Hibbert Must Dominate on Defense

One of the main reasons the Lakers have failed so miserably in recent years is their porous defense. It has ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every statistical category, and no defensive shortcoming has been more obvious than the lack of rim protection.

At times, it looked like other teams were conducting a lay-up clinic. For their record to improve, the Lakers have to improve immensely on the defensive end.

They don’t have to be the best defensive team in the league, but the Lakers can’t live near the bottom like they’ve grown accustom to. It starts with consistently protecting the paint.

Enter Roy Hibbert, who has a body (7′ 2″, 270 lbs) that takes up a lot of space. It wasn’t long ago he was considered one of the best defensive players in the game.

He is only 28 years old and is apparently in the best shape of his career. If Hibbert can clog the lane and stop other teams from scoring easy baskets at the rim, the Lakers should be vastly improved.

In a recent interview, Jim Buss lumped Hibbert with D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Randle as key, core players for the team’s future.

When Hibbert was acquired many presumed he was temporary, that he would be in Los Angeles for just the duration of the season, but Buss doesn’t feel that way.

If he returns to his previous form, Hibbert is young enough to be an important part of the Lakers future. In a contract year, Hibbert has too many monetary reasons not to give his maximum effort.

Next: The Ball Needs To Move On Offense

3. The Ball Needs to Move on Offense

NBA offenses are not the same they were ten years ago nor is Bryant, 37, the same player he was at 27. For both reasons, the Lakers must get everyone involved in the offense, and that means the ball must move from side to side.

This will be hard for Bryant, who has made a career of dominating the ball as a post-up scorer and not trusting teammates.

The extent to which he is willing and able to adjust, by fitting in rather than standing out, will go a long way in determining whether the Lakers play effectively on the offensive side of the ball.

The name of the game is to score more points than the other team, and whether the team wins 85-83 or 126-124, a win is a win.

For the Lakers to succeed, the team has to fill up the scoreboard. That means players such as Young, Russell, Clarkson, Randle, and Lou Williams have to be an integral part of the offense.

The point guard should be the set-up man. By all accounts, Russell’s best talent is playmaking. If that is the case, Russell has to be the one with the ball in his hands.

If everyone sits around watching Bryant go one-on-one, it will not only mean fewer wins for the team, but it will impede the development of the younger players which would be counterproductive to the organization’s best interests.

Next: Russell And Randle Must Emerge As Future Stars

Sep 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) answers questions during media day at the team practice facility in El Segundo. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

4. D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle Must Emerge as Future Stars

It’s hard to wrestle away a top-flight free agent from his respective team in the modern NBA era, because the deck is stacked in favor of players staying where they are.

That team can offer the player an extra year on his contract, and that means an additional $20,000,000 or more in guaranteed money for max players.

For that reason, it is imperative that teams draft well, because high draft picks can be locked up at a reasonable salary for at least seven years. Thereafter, the team has the upper hand in re-signing that player for max money.

At the moment, the Lakers have as many as eight players who could make the final roster who are either rookies or second year players.

Several will have to make a big contribution for the Lakers to compete for a playoff spot this season. The pressure is on Russell and Randle in particular.

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

They are the highest draft selections the Lakers have had in over 30 years, and a lot is riding on their success. They happen to play point guard and power forward, critical positions on any team.

If Russell and Randle both emerge as future stars the Lakers will be fine and eventually attract big name free agents that have eluded them in recent years.

If Russell and Randle are busts, or even if they prove to be only average NBA players, the organization will be back at the starting gate. There will be no end in sight for the long, frustrating rebuilding process.

Unless they finish the season with one of the three worst records in the league, the Lakers will have no draft selections next year.

The past two seasons have been an anomaly for a team that rarely relies on rookies. The Lakers will continue to rely on inexperienced players the likes of Randle, Russell, Clarkson, Jabari Brown, Tarik Black, Anthony Brown, and Larry Nance Jr. this season.

They team also just signed two young players to semi-guaranteed contracts for training camp, and Laker fans are begging the front office to sign the ghost of Robert Upshaw.

For better or worse, this is what the last two rookie classes have yielded for the Lakers, and the team’s future is in the hands of these young players. Russell and Randle must excel, in particular, or it will likely mean the end of the Mitch Kupchak/Jim Buss era.

Next: Clarkson Must Continue To Improve

Feb 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) reacts to dunking the ball during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jordan Clarkson Must Continue to Improve

Clarkson could be the player to emerge as the face of the Lakers franchise and the team’s leader.

Second-round draft choices can produce unlikely contributors like DeAndre Jordan and Draymond Green, but invariably they are complementary pieces, not the featured performer. Clarkson may break that mold.

Russell and Randle may have entered the league with a significantly higher profile, but it is Clarkson who appears to have the game, the temperament, and the star quality to re-energize the team as it creeps towards the post-Bryant era.

Clarkson still has his doubters, mainly naysayers who look down on any player who is not a lottery choice. He had an incredible rookie season that was made even more impressive considering the fact he languished on the bench while playing hardly at all the first half of the season.

When he finally got his chance, Clarkson took full advantage. He dominated the two point guards chosen in last year’s lottery, Marcus Smart and Dante Exum, in head-to-head competition.

Apr 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Robbie Hummel (4) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Clarkson got better and stronger as the year progressed, and the season coming to an end didn’t deter the 2015 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection from competing. He just keeps going. This is a guy who lives and breathes basketball.

One get’s the feeling Clarkson would play all day and all night if he had the chance. When one game is over, he looks and sounds like he’s ready to play another without a break. He’s always in attack mode on the court. In some ways, Clarkson is reminiscent of Westbrook.

That’s not to say Clarkson doesn’t have room for improvement. He does, but the key is he knows it. That is why Clarkson keeps working and working.

He doesn’t have an attitude of entitlement. He takes nothing for granted and always trains and plays like he’s about to be cut. This is precisely what a team wants and needs in a young star.

Despite all the positive indications, Clarkson needs to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and prove last year was no fluke.

Early indications suggest Clarkson will predominantly play the shooting guard position, where he must show he has a consistent outside shot to accompany his ability to get to the rim with his elite quickness.

He has the potential to draw a lot of attention from defenders which should make it easier for him to dish the rock to open players and create easy opportunities. He also has the potential to become a good defender but is an aspect of his game that needs work.

The feeling is Clarkson is the real deal and can do all these things. If he shows solid improvement in these areas this season, Clarkson will become one of the league’s brightest young stars. More importantly, it will mean the Lakers have made progress towards becoming a playoff team once again.

Next: Report: Lakers to Sign Marcelo Huertas Before Training Camp

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Hannah Kulik

I attend Loyola Marymount University where I have been an on-air radio and television personality. I am a passionate Lakers fan and hope to work on-camera for Time Warner Cable Access Sportsnet Lakers channel in the future. Aside from my interest in the Lakers I have been a competitive equestrian in the Arabian horse world for a number of years.