Despite a lot of new faces on the Los Angeles Lakers, the young core is still going to be heavily relied upon.
The Los Angeles Lakers have much higher expectations this season than in previous years after another strong offseason. After making some nice strides last season, the Lakers are now expected to be a team that will make the playoffs, and possibly cause some problems for other teams in the West.
Even though the Lakers added LeBron James, a lot of the success or failures of this team will likely come down to the young core. So far, things look very promising for the young core of the Lakers.
Last season, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram were all selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend. This summer in Las Vegas, Josh Hart was the best player in the tournament, as he took home the MVP.
Recently, Rajon Rondo spoke with Mike Trudell about the young core of the Lakers. Here’s what he had to say.
"“We’re going to have to ride the young guys throughout the regular season, even in the playoffs. They’re going to play big for us. My expectations are really high for the young guys. They’ll be where they need to be. Myself, LeBron, Lance, Mike, we’re all going to be vets that’s trying to instill greatness in these young guys. We’re going to push the (stuff) out of them. I’m sure they’ll rise to the occasion. That’s what they seem like so far. They’ve been in here working their butts off since I’ve been here in early August, so I look forward to getting them to the level they need to play at for us to be contenders.”"
Judging by the comments made by Rondo, the new veterans on the Lakers are certainly going to be expecting a good amount out of the young core. With a lot of talent on the team, the Lakers can certainly surprise people this year if they gel well. In addition to getting comfortable with each other on the court, the young core of the Lakers might take another step forward with the added talent around them.
As a champion with the Boston Celtics, Rondo knows what it takes to get to the NBA Finals and win. For the young core, they haven’t been in the playoffs yet, and there will be a lot of uncharted waters coming this season. Luckily for them, having players like Rondo on the team should help prepare them for what’s to come.