3. Their young prospects are growing up fast
According to reports, one of the things that attracted Lebron James to the Lakers was their cadre of young talent. Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart all displayed the ability to become stars, or at least major rotation players this past season.
In his rookie season (2016-17), Ingram averaged just 9.4 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 29.4% from three point range. A pretty weak rookie campaign for the second overall pick in the draft, if you ask me. But this past season, Ingram had a breakout sophomore season with 16.1 points and 3.9 assists per game on a solid 47% field goal shooting and 39% from downtown.
That’s a pretty major improvement for a 20-year-old. He showed the ability to finish strong at the rim, hit outside shots, create off the dribble and be a secondary ball-handler both in transition and in halfcourt sets. It makes you wonder how much better he could be in his third season, or beyond.
Kyle Kuzma also averaged 16.1 points per game this past season as a 22-year-old rookie, and displayed an offensive game that was unusually developed and well-rounded for such a young player. He also seems to have that “it” factor when it comes to having the personality and the chutzpah to want the ball and deliver in key situations. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s picked the brain of the one and only Kobe Bryant.
Lonzo Ball definitely has some huge holes in his game. But his passing, court vision and ability to maintain an up-tempo pace throughout the game are things you can’t teach. He also became a good defensive player, which was surprising given that he was a rookie, and at 6-foot-6, that should be a pretty big asset moving forward.
Josh Hart was named the MVP of the summer league this year after averaging 24.2 points and 1.5 steals a game on 47.1% shooting going into the tournament’s championship game. He’s shown the ability to be an accurate three-point shooter and seems to have the grit needed to be a valuable role player on a championship team.
History has shown that Lebron needs a superstar or borderline superstar, plus another All-Star caliber player to win a championship. If Ingram and/or Kuzma take that next step and averages at least 20 points per game this upcoming season, it would go a long way towards helping the Lakers contend for a title right away, because both may already be playing at a Chris Bosh or Kevin Love-type level (at least offensively).