2. Lance Stephenson
Plenty of people questioned the acquisitions that the Lakers made following LeBron James. The one that received the most criticism was Lance Stephenson.
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The criticism is warranted. Stephenson has struggled to perform outside of playing for the Indiana Pacers throughout his career. He was also signed in part for his defense, but his defensive numbers have plummeted. Stephenson has never been a great 3-point shooter either, so it is fair to question his fit with the current construction of the Lakers’ roster.
As a result, he is one person that needs to work hard heading into training camp. His fit with the team has been questioned since the second he signed, so coming into camp prepared is imperative.
Stephenson can quiet a lot of his critics if he performs well in camp and earns a spot in the rotation. The mercurial shooting guard, in theory, provides the team with some great versatility. He can play both wing spots and even masquerade as a point guard. Playoff experience is something he also has plenty of, which will help.
However, it is not something he has been able to showcase consistently in recent seasons. Stephenson was a low-risk, high-reward signing for Los Angeles. If he performs well, they got a solid player on a relatively cheap deal. If he doesn’t, the deal was only for one year and they can move on next offseason.