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Lakers: 5 Reasons Fans Shouldn’t Over-Hype This Team

By Timothy Jenkins

Mar 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) during the NBA game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) during the NBA game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Kings won 112-93. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Kings won 112-93. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

What Will The Team’s Identity Be?

One thing I will say about the Byron Scott era is that the team’s identity was pretty clear. We knew what were not going to do and we knew what they were attempting to do. Byron wanted the team to be an old-school, hard nosed defensive team that preferred mid-range jump shots to three point looks.

Luke Walton needs to figure out what he wants this team’s identity to be and whether or not they have the right pieces to make it happen.

For example, this team surely doesn’t have the pieces to be a dominant defensive team but they can be pretty solid with the right effort and coaching. It’s going to be difficult to be a run and gun, free-flowing team because there aren’t that many consistent three point shooters available.

It’s possible that the Lakers are trying to become Golden State 2.0, but there are two main problems with that. 1, the Lakers aren’t nearly as talented as the Golden State core. And 2, it remains to be seen if the young Lakers have the basketball IQ’s required to run a system like that.

To the untrained eye, it appears that GSW is successful because they run around and shoot lots of threes and have Stephen Curry but the Golden State system is the result of several fundamental basketball theories wrapped into one. Back-screens, precision cuts, reading and reacting, etc.

In order for the Lakers to truly start playing well, they have to figure out how they want to play.

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