The Lakers have won less than 28 games in each of the past two seasons, but that has allowed them to build a strong group of young players at the top of the draft lottery. Los Angeles also has an up-and-coming coach in 37-year-old Luke Walton, who will be given plenty of time to turn this team around. With an enormous offseason looming in 2018, the Lakers need to prove to future free agents that this team has the potential to compete for a championship with the addition of a superstar or two.

Point Guard

This year's number two overall pick has already taken the league by storm, and Lakers fans will enjoy watching Lonzo Ball run up and down the court making no-look passes all season long.

Ball was the Summer League MVP, and he is set to become the next great Laker.

Jordan Clarkson can provide some scoring punch off the bench, and Tyler Ennis is a very capable third point guard.

Shooting Guard

The Lakers were given a gift when the Pistons decided to let go of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. L.A. decided to bring him in on a one year deal, and he should fit in well as a 3-and-D player.

Corey Brewer provides some veteran experience for the Lakers' multitude of young players, and the Lakers were thrilled to pick up Villanova's Josh Hart at the end of the first round of this year's draft.

Small Forward

Brandon Ingram had a nightmarish beginning to his rookie year, but he began to show why he was last year's number two overall pick by the end of the season.

His development alongside Lonzo Ball will go a long way in determining the future of this Lakers franchise.

Luol Deng was shut down for the season early last spring, and his role on this 2017 team is yet to be determined.

Power Forward

Julius Randle was involved heavily in trade talks this offseason, but he'll be back to prove that he should be a part of this Lakers rebuild.

He averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season, but he ranked 76th out of 81 NBA power forwards in defensive plus-minus.

Larry Nance Jr. has shown some promise, and he might be able to develop into a sixth man on a championship-level team. He scored 7.1 points with 5.9 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game last season, and he ranked 11th among power forwards in defensive RPM.

Center

The Lakers received Brook Lopez from the Nets as a part of the D'Angelo Russell trade. He's probably not a part of the Lakers' future plans, but he should be able to help this team win in 2017 with his ability to score at all three levels.

Ivica Zubac became a cult hero among Lakers fans as he had some breakout games near the end of last season. He was a bit inconsistent, but he's got plenty of time to develop as he enters the season at just 20 years old.
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