The Los Angeles Lakers will have multiple training camp battles in a few weeks. Here are three of the most prominent ones.
The Los Angeles Lakers had an eventful offseason. All three levels of the organization were overhauled, as the roster, coaching staff and front office all changed.
Rob Pelinka took over as the lone voice of the front office, assuming more power when Magic Johnson abruptly stepped down from his position as team president hours before the 2018-19 season finale. After some failed attempts, Pelinka and company finally landed on Frank Vogel as the team’s head coach.
Pelinka faced plenty of challenges after that putting together the team’s roster. People were unsure it was something he was capable of, but he did a great job putting it together.
He pulled off a blockbuster trade before the 2019 NBA Draft, finally landing Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. He and LeBron James made for one of the best duos in the league, and Kyle Kuzma was held onto during trade talks, giving the Lakers a great foundation to work with.
While Kawhi Leonard spurned them, Pelinka pivoted well to fill out the roster. It was a blessing in disguise for the team, as they would have been very top-heavy with Leonard, James, Davis and Kuzma and only veteran minimum players behind them. Instead, there is depth across the board.
However, with all of that depth, there will be some tough decisions to be made. Some players will not receive a lot of minutes throughout the season. As a result, training camp will be very important.
With a new coaching staff in place, there are plenty of roles and minutes up for grabs. Training camp will be the first time players will have to make an impression on Vogel and his staff.
There will be plenty of training camp battles to keep an eye on, but these three battles standout among them all.