The Boy Wonders
The Lakers are in a tough position with this one: their greatest asset is also their greatest liability.
The youth of the Lakers has been talked about for a long time now. It is one of the biggest reasons for optimism of the franchise but the Lakers youth is also their biggest disadvantage. We all make, or have made youthful mistakes and will continue to do so.
Youthful errors in the NBA look like letting 20 point leads slip away or conversely, not continuing to fight when you find yourself down by 20. Youthful errors look like that bad team you lost to by underestimating them or not being able to close out a game when you have a team on the ropes. The sad part is, most of these mistakes are only fixed through experience.
The Lakers will have many games this season in which their youth will be on full display, for better or for worse. It will be important for the coaching staff and the veterans on the team to keep these young players in check.
Youth isn’t a bad thing by any means but in the NBA, it’s going to be difficult to improve and advance when you’re basically getting in your own way.
Next: 3 Takeaways from the Lakers Preseason Loss vs the Nuggets
Like Coach Walton stated, a successful season for the Lakers this year should be based on improvement and maturity, rather than wins and losses. Save the expectations for later.