The Los Angeles Lakers team has one of the youngest cores in the league, with an average age of 24.25 at the start of the 2017-18 NBA season. Nevertheless, the talents on this young team are increasing each game, even while head coach Luke Walton looks for better combinations on the floor.

Don’t be surprised come April if the Lakers step back onto the biggest stage of basketball called the playoffs. With exciting and promising young players, the Los Angeles Lakers are proving to the basketball world that they are destined for greatness once again.

Talent-laden roster

The Lakers are on a three-game losing skid. These losses were close games, decided at the last minutes of the game. Surely, Walton needs to make some adjustments on how they deal with end-game situations, player combinations, and rotations. Yet there are a few positive things visible – tenacity, agility, and talent.

In the game against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 29, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to push the defending champions against the wall. Alas, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant stepped up their game to subdue the Lakers, 127-123.

Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 32 points while three others scored at least 20 points: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (21), Jordan Clarkson (21), and Julius Randle (20).

Lonzo Ball showed his ball-handling brilliance, dishing out 10 assists while also scoring 15 points. Meanwhile, the team’s leading scorer, Kyle Kuzma, missed the game due to back spasms.

Future of Lakers

Magic Johnson has made it clear he will rebuild the Los Angeles Lakers with young blood. And clearly, he did, as seven players from Walton’s main eight-player rotation are between the ages of 20 and 25.

The exception is Brook Lopez, who will turn 30 in April. Here’s the Lakers’ main rotation in terms of scoring: Kuzma (16.7), Brandon Ingram (15.7), Clarkson (15.4), KCP (14.2), Lopez (13.4), Randle (12.5), Larry Nance (9.4), and Ball (9.0).

Surprisingly, even LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is now among Kuzma’s fans. The good coach believes that Kuzma may be in the running for the ROY award, “He’s been terrific.

Right now he may the leader for rookie of the year or one of them. At least he should be in the running,” Rivers said, as posted in the L.A. Times.

Strength at No. 4

After an injury that sidelined him for more than three weeks, Larry Nance Jr. has resumed his role as the starting power forward, moving Kyle Kuzma back to coming off the bench. In his return to the hard court against the Clippers, Nance, Jr. scored nine points and had eight rebounds, while Kuzma and Randle scored 15 and 11 points, respectively.

While Randle has been playing inspired basketball recently, trade rumors still haunt the former Lakers’ starting power forward. This is mainly due to the fact that Nance Jr. and Kuzma have been playing wonderfully for the Lakers. Call it the Lakers’ “Lucky 27,” there’s no doubt that the Lakers have a lot of depth at power forward.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED