Lakers Training Camp: Six Things to Watch

Hannah Kulik

Jul 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) reacts after being assessed a foul during an NBA Summer League game against the Knicks at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

With the NFL and college football seasons underway and Major League Baseball heading into their final stretch, it is easy to forget that NBA training camps will open in less than a month.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, it will be an opportunity to put what was an underwhelming off-season behind them.

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It’s also a chance to see if the underrated moves they made will lead to an improved record this season and possibly an outside shot at making the playoffs.

It’s been nearly five months since the Lakers last played an NBA game. They lost to the Sacramento Kings, 122-99. The injury-riddled squad dressed only eight players that game.

The Lakers starting line-up was Vander Blue, Jabari Brown, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Hill, and Tarik Black which pretty much sums up the entire year.

The team enters training camp in search of a brighter future, but there are a number of crucial, unanswered questions. Depending on how they are resolved, the Lakers will ether show improvement, remain the same, or sink even lower in the standings if that is possible.

Next: What Adjustments Will Byron Scott Make This Season?

Apr 13, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott reacts to a play during the third quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

1. What Adjustments Will Byron Scott Make This Season?

Head coach Byron Scott is unabashedly old-school, but his rigid ways did not serve the team well last season. In Scott’s defense, he was handed a squad devoid of much talent and things only got worse when the injuries started piling up.

Still, Scott made many mistakes. He played Kobe Bryant too many minutes and Ed Davis too little. He started Ronnie Price at point for much of the year while Jordan Clarkson rode the bench. Although Scott stressed defense, his system did not produce results. On offense, he famously commented that the three-point shot is “overrated.”

Hopefully Scott has learned from last year and is ready to adjust. He doesn’t typically favor young players but must be flexible enough to play them this season. Scott has to install a system where the ball moves on offense and the team swarms on defense. He must also decide on a rotation early and stick with it, something he did not do last year.

Scott had initial success as an NBA coach with the New Jersey Nets when they appeared in back-to-back NBA Finals (0-2), but that was over 10 years ago. His three head coaching stints with the New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers have done little to quiet his critics.

Despite words of support from the front office, if the Lakers record does not improve and there is no upward trajectory established, Scott may find himself out of a job next spring.

Next: Are D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle NBA-Ready?

Jul 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D

2. Are D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle NBA-Ready?

The future of the Lakers franchise is in the hands of D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Organizations have to build through the draft in today’s NBA game. They can no longer rely on wrestling free agents away from more lucrative opportunities with their current teams.

Russell and Randle are the highest selections the Lakers have had in the draft since they selected James Worthy No. 1 overall in 1982. The team passed on other favorable options with their selections, most notably when the organization chose Russell over big man Jahlil Okafor this summer.

In a nutshell, the Lakers cannot afford to strike out with these two young men. It is not enough that they become pretty good. They must excel if the Lakers are going to become competitive again, but neither man looked good in Summer League.

Randle could use the excuse he had not played competitive basketball in a year. Still, he was out of control and looked like the same raw player Laker fans saw the summer before. Russell was an even bigger disappointment. He appeared to be slow, tentative, and unprepared to step into the role of a starting point guard in the NBA.

Russell and Randle need to get off to a strong start in training camp. They must emerge as future leaders and erase doubts about whether the team made a mistake selecting them. If Russell and Randle start slowly, there’s a chance they lose their confidence early, and the season could implode.

Next: Will Kobe Bryant Fit In or Stand Out?

Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) during a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

3. Will Kobe Bryant Fit In or Stand Out?

As long as Bryant remains on the team, he will always be the center of attention. He sells tickets and draws fans, but it is unrealistic for Bryant to expect to be the ball-dominant player he has always been at age 37 and coming off major injuries in three consecutive seasons.

Will the “Black Mamba” try to stand out or will he try to fit in?

Historically, Bryant has always been the former, but the Lakers desperately needs him to embrace the latter. As a complimentary piece, Bryant can make a major contribution, and the team will prosper from it.

“Vino” has decided to keep playing, which is fine, but he must understand and accept the circumstances. This is a Lakers team that is starting from the bottom. The future depends on the young players getting meaningful minutes this year and gaining experience. If Bryant gets frustrated with his teammates and takes over, it will lead to disastrous results on and off the court.

Training camp should provide the first glimpse of how Bryant intends to conduct himself this season.

Next: Will the Lakers Outside Shooting Improve?

Apr 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Lou Williams (23) dribbles past Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) in the second quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

4. Will the Lakers Outside Shooting Improve?

In the modern-day NBA, if a team does not consistently make three-point shots, and lots of them, it greatly reduces the odds that it will finish with a winning record.

Last season, the Lakers were poor from three-point range, almost laughable. Jody Meeks, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, and even Kendell Marshall shot the lights out from downtown the year before. Meeks, Farmar and Marshall all departed after the 2014 season ended. In the immortal words of Tommy Lasorda, Young “couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.”

The Lakers must improve from three-point range, but who will meet the challenge?

Of the players expected to make the team, the most likely candidate is the Lakers newest acquisition, Lou Williams. He was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year last season. Williams didn’t earn that honor with his defense, rebounding, or assists. Williams won, because he brought instant offense off the bench which consisted primarily of outside shooting.

Young is another possibility, but no one can be sure what he will contribute after last season’s struggles. It’s also unclear if Scott, who is not a fan of Young’s limited game, will even let him play.

The Lakers have no true small forwards with any experience. Young will definitely get a chance, and it’s certainly possible he regains the form that lead to a four-year, $21.5 million contact the year before.

Rookie Anthony Brown could be another option, but he looked overwhelmed in Summer League. That doesn’t bode well for a team so thin at that position. That said, Brown joins the team with a solid reputation as a defender and three-point shooter.

Brown’s fellow NBA rookies recently voted him as one of the top shooters in the rookie class. He could still be a nice surprise next season. Brown could help out the team tremendously if he steps up and proves that his reputation in college was warranted.

Outside of Williams, Young, and Brown, there are no real three-point threats on the team. However, Russell shot well at Ohio State and Clarkson worked hard all summer to improve that aspect of his game. Training camp will give Laker fans an opportunity to see who can step up in this crucial area.

Next: Who Will Make the Team and Have an Impact?

Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) reacts after a call during an NBA Summer League game against Minnesota at Thomas & Mack Center. Minnesota won the game 81-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

5. Who Will Make the Team and Have an Impact?

For better or worse, the Top 12 players on the squad are set for next season. There could be solid competition for the last three slots primarily between Brown, Black, Jonathan Holmes, Michael Frazier. Kelly, Robert Upshaw, and Robert Sacre are on the outside looking in.

Only three of these players can realistically make the squad. It will most likely be determined by who meets the challenge in training camp and gets off to a fast start. Most Laker fans expect Brown, Black, and Upshaw to get the nod.

However, Holmes and Frazier should make it interesting. As for Kelly and Sacre, few people understand why they are still on the team at all and with guaranteed contracts.

There’s a good reason for fans to care about who wins these competitions. The past three seasons, the Lakers could barely field a team of eight healthy men for much of last season.

The players at the end of the bench were forced to play in more than a token role. Given the number of young, inexperienced players, if someone does not pan out there must be that next player who is ready to step in.

These seven players will be fighting for their NBA lives once training camp starts. It will be interesting to see who rises to the top.

Next: Who Will Serve as Bryant's Backup?

Feb 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) reacts to a 3-point basket in the second half of the game against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center. Lakers won 118-111 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

6. Who Will Serve as Bryant’s Backup?

Even people with an optimistic outlook for Bryant don’t think he will play more than 50 games this season, and that assumes he stays relatively healthy for the duration.

Who is going to play when Bryant can’t?

The situation is complicated, because Bryant is expected to play small forward this year. It is an understatement to say the Lakers are thin at that position. Young, a natural shooting guard, has played the three for the Lakers, but he’s made it clear he does not like to start. Furthermore, Young’s played poorly in the past when thrust into that role.

The only other small forward on the roster is the rookie, Brown. It would be an enormous surprise if he emerged as a viable candidate to start at any point this season.

Who will replace Bryant when he’s out?

As things stand now, multiple players are going to have to play out of position for most of the season. It could be a power forward such as Randle or Larry Nance Jr. However, much like Brown, Nance Jr. is a rookie and Randle is essentially entering his first year.

Clarkson might have to drop down and play some three. The best small forwards in the league – LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard – are too physical for guards and two quick for power forwards.

Laker fans have been wondering what the team will do at small forward all summer. The front office seems unconcerned, since they’ve concentrated on every position except small forward.

Hopefully, some of these questions get answered once training camp gets underway, but, for right now, there are no obvious solutions.

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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.