Five Lakers Named In ESPN’s Rising Stars Rankings

 A handful of the Los Angeles Lakers’ young players were named in ESPN’s Rising Stars rankings.

The future is bright in Los Angeles, and a few of the young Lakers have a earned the respect of ESPN in their latest Rising Stars rankings. The experts at ESPN were asked to rate the best talent in the NBA under the age of 25 and out of 50 players, five Lakers made the cut. Here’s where they ranked.

No. 48: Larry Nance Jr.

Even the most casual Lakers fans know Larry Nance Jr.’s name because of his poster dunks, but Nance is so much more than just a high-flying act. While he doesn’t stuff the box score or put up 20-plus points each night, Nance’s star shines just as brights as his teammates.

Taken with the No. 27 pick in the 2015 draft, Nance has already exceeded expectations. Nance is one of the few players averaging at least 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist while playing less than 25 minutes per game.

Fans that wanted R.J. Hunter or Kevon Looney on draft night only needed a few Summer League games to switch over to team Nance. Teams love players like Nance that don’t need to see the ball to make an impact and the Lakers are very lucky to have him.

Ranked higher than: Bismack Biyombo

No. 32: Jordan Clarkson

In his third season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Clarkson is once again trying to prove his doubters wrong.

His rookie season, he made the All-Rookie first team and played in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend as a second-round pick. He followed his breakout rookie season with a productive sophomore season that earned him a four-year, $50 million contract this past summer.

Unfortunately, Clarkson has struggled quite a bit since moving to the bench this season. His numbers haven’t taken a huge dip, but his overall game has digressed. The playmaking instincts he showed flashes of in his first two years with the Purple and Gold have disappeared and his shot selection has been questionable, to put it kindly.

There’s still plenty of time for Clarkson to turn it around and blossom into the borderline All-Star fans hoped he would be. After all, he’s only 24 years old and the Lakers have him locked up for his prime years.

Ranked higher than: Elfrid Payton, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Kris Dunn, Marcus Smart

No. 25: Brandon Ingram

If you’re not excited about Brandon Ingram yet, now would be a good time to start. The team announced last week that Ingram will start at small forward for the next 20 years. Okay, maybe they didn’t say those exact words, but that’s basically what they said.  After paying Luol Deng the big bucks to play in Los Angeles this past summer, the Lakers decided it’s time for Ingram to get some run in with the first unit. So far, he’s made the most of his opportunity.

After paying Luol Deng the big bucks to play in Los Angeles this past summer, the Lakers decided it’s time for Ingram to get some run in with the first unit. So far, he’s made the most of his opportunity. Since moving to the starting lineup, Ingram is averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting from behind the arc.

There’s very little not to like about Ingram’s game. He can shoot, he’s long and a very capable playmaker. Once he fills out his wiry frame, he’s going to be the NBA’s worst nightmare (and not just because he resembles Slender Man).

Ranked higher than: Jaylen Brown, Tobias Harris, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

No. 23: Julius Randle

Can you handle Randle? If your name is not Julius Randle, then the answer is no. No, you can not. Randle’s star has never shined as bright as it has this season (the first half of the season at least).

Randle is one of eight players to record multiple triple-doubles this season, a list that includes LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.

Single season stats don’t impress you? We might have something that will raise your eyebrows– unless you don’t have eyebrows, which is fine too! We don don’t discriminate here at Lake Show Life.

If you’re not on board yet, I don’t know what to tell you. He’s only 22 and his ceiling is so high I’m not sure Larry Nance Jr. could touch it. Randle just needs to make sure that he doesn’t fall into old habits, like trying to take it to the rim when four of his five teammates are open.

He also needs to develop a consistent midrange jumper and a right hand. Not that he doesn’t have a right hand; he does, he just doesn’t use it very often. Once he gets that under control, he’s going to be a bad man.

Ranked higher than: Marquese Chriss, Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric, Aaron Gordon

No. 18: D’Angelo Russell

My 20-year-old point guard is better than your 20-year-old point guard. That’s just a fact. I’ll even double down and say that D’Angelo Russell is the best point guard under the age of 25 not named Kyrie Andrew Irving. Why? Because he is.

Russell is the only guard under the age of 25 averaging at least 14 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds per game in less than 27 minutes per game. Take away the minutes restriction and he’s still in the top 10 in almost every statistical category for players under the age of 25.

The biggest knock on Russell is his lack of effort. Some games, he looks like a career 20 and 10 player, and other games he looks like someone that doesn’t want to be there. Consistency is the goal for Russell going forward.

But his star potential is impossible to ignore. His playmaking ability is tremendous, as is his ability to score from anywhere on the floor at will. He could put up 20 points a night if he wasn’t so damn selfless. Expect big things from D’Lo post All-Star break.

Ranked higher than: Elfrid Payton, JAHLIL OKAFOR, Kriss Dunn, Emmanuel Mudiay, Dennis Schroder and did I mention Emmanuel Mudiay?

Next: LA in the market for a shot blocker

But what do you guys think? Was Zubac snubbed? Was anyone too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments below!

All stats are from NBA.com unless otherwise noted. For the latest on the Lake Show, follow @TheLakeShowLife on Twitter!