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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 most important questions facing team

By Ed Schrenzel

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Luke Walton, Magic Johnson, and assistant coaches of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericksduring the 2017 Summer League Semifinals on July 16, 2017 at the Thomas
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Luke Walton, Magic Johnson, and assistant coaches of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericksduring the 2017 Summer League Semifinals on July 16, 2017 at the Thomas /
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Los Angeles Lakers: Brook Lopez not in top-10 centers of NBA 2K18
EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 28: Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers introduce Brook Lopez at a press conference on June 28, 2017 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3) How Good Will The New Veteran Starters Be

In the off-season, the Lakers acquired center Brook Lopez in the D’Angelo Russell trade and signed free agent shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Both are expected to join the starting lineup. Lopez will likely be one of the team’s leading scorers, and KCP should step right into a ‘3-and-D’ role opposite Ball in the backcourt.

The contracts of each player expire after this season. If, as widely assumed, the team pursues big-name free agents next July, does that mean that Lopez and probably also KCP are only one-year rentals?

What if Lopez is a formidable ‘stretch-5’ this season, leading the team in scoring while being a reasonably effective rim protector on defense? Would that be enough to merit the Lakers re-signing him? Or will the team turn elsewhere no matter what, maybe to a center like DeMarcus Cousins?

And what if KCP proves to be a marvelous complement to Ball by shooting well from the 3-point line, slashing to the hoop effectively and providing excellent defense against the opposition’s top backcourt player? Would that persuade Lakers management to retain him for the future, or will they instead look for a bigger name, such as Russell Westbrook?

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