The summer has ended and the Los Angeles Lakers preseason games have begun. What are the biggest questions facing the team going into the start of the season?
The Los Angeles Lakers have officially begun preparations for the regular season. For many teams, training camp represents a competition for roster spots. But barring an unforeseen trade, these 14 spots on Lakers roster are all set:
• 6 returnees (Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ivica Zubac)
• 3 rookies (Mo Wagner, Svi Mykhailiuk and Isaac Bonga)
• 5 free agent signees (LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee).
• Also, Alex Caruso and Travis Wear are both on 2-way contracts.
The team may sign someone to the 15th spot, but are more likely to leave it open for now, giving them more flexibility later in the season.
Despite the roster essentially being settled, there are the biggest questions the team is facing.
With all of these questions in mind, nobody will be surprised if the team starts off slowly this season. That is exactly what happened in both Miami and Cleveland when LBJ first joined them as a free agent.
The hope is that the Lakers will reach their peak down the stretch and play well enough to continue into the postseason.
To achieve that, they will have to overcome some shortcomings. Here are the three biggest questions facing the Lakers this upcoming season.