Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking down each player’s role this season

Chemistry Leaders: Jared Dudley & Quinn Cook

Dudz and Cook, two Lakers who have proven that their impact off the court might be just as important as their play on it. Dudley played a whopping 364 minutes last season, Cook logged just over 500, yet they were in the gym, working out, going hard on the bench like this was their first time on a team.

Yet without them, I do wonder if last year’s team would have enjoyed the same success. This because they understand what this all really is. A team.

We all know LeBron and AD will be leading the squad this year toward what could likely be another championship. But Cook and Dudley understand that that’s a long ways away, and things can happen over the course of a season that might disrupt a team’s flow or hurt their chemistry.

This is where they come in, keeping it light while working hard, carrying themselves with humility while being a veteran presence in the locker room. Skills that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

Cook could possibly see more time this year than he has in prior seasons (and deservedly so, dude can really play!) while Dudley will likely continue his streak from last year of most consecutive games with 15 or more high fives. But their high spirits, their team-first attitude and relentless support at the end of the bench will be just as important to this Lakers team as their contributions on the court.

It’s Gonna be Fun

With the shortest offseason in American sports history nearly over, the Los Angeles Lakers gear up to defend their NBA Title. While we won’t know what Vogel intends to do with the starting lineup and rotations until the first game (and even then, it could change with every day), we do know that the roles on this team for each player are pretty apparent.

If everyone buys in and plays their part, this team has a very, very strong chance at repeating as champions. One this is certain, it’s going to be fun watching this team.