Los Angeles Lakers: The Ultimate Guide to the 2018 Offseason
Final Thoughts + Mailbag
"If you missed the announcement, we are starting a new mailbag series on the Lake Show Life where you, the fans, can send in questions regarding any Lakers or general NBA topics. Dominic Torres is a longtime Lakers fan and is the current host of “The Jumper” on iTunes. Have a thought-provoking, franchise-changing, or life-altering question about the Lakers or the NBA? Send a Tweet, comment, or email a question to djtnba@gmail.com and we might publish it for the Monday series of the DJT Jumpshot Mailbag!"
Los Angeles is placed in a hotbed of a “hit-or-miss” situation. Flexibility came at a huge price for Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. It forced them to give up Larry Nance, Jr. who I thought was, at that time, the most valuable piece in the trade. D’Angelo Russell, a player who many Laker fans believed would be the next “great Laker,” was pushed out due to leadership and locker room issues. Lakers ownership became heavily unstable. Yet, the future remains bright for this up-and-coming squad.
Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are the two huge pieces and question marks going into the offseason. How they prepare their bodies for next season will set the tone of whether the Lakers next year could prepare to enter the playoffs. Julius Randle awaits a contract offer [if any] from Magic and Pelinka. However, this team embodies the passion than of so many others before them.
This team has a selling point, but it is not the strongest one, especially when the two best players miss over fifty games in one year. Los Angeles missed out on many a superstar long ago. Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and others passed on Los Angeles the first time. Why cannot anyone expect it again?
Next: 50 Greatest Players In Lakers Franchise History
We should not be disappointed if Los Angeles fails to sign any free agents. There’s always next year. There’s a player on the Spurs disgruntled with his playing situation. Most importantly, there’s a bedrock of multiple young talent’s potential waiting to be unfolded in a new era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball.