The Los Angeles Lakers may have not done that great in the offseason, failing to land blue chip names. The Lakers weren't able to land the big names like LaMarcus Aldridge or DeAndre Jordan; but they managed to get something out of it with D'Angelo Russell, touted to be one of the best guards in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Jordan Clarkson, the surprise kid of last year, is still around and the team's top pick in 2014 still has the chance to prove his worth in the coming season. With Kobe Bryant and new recruits Roy Hibbert and Lou Williams, the Lakers could be up there fighting, despite the fact that they find themselves in a highly competitive Western Conference.
This is, of course, not to say the Lakers are done for. The Lakers have a team that can surely elevate themselves in the standings a bit and one that knows how lady luck would smile on them.
Russell has his work cut out for him. Being a rookie, he is expected to be broken in incrementally. If he lives up to his billing, we could see a surprise this season.
If not, well, there is always Jordan Clarkson to save the day. Remember that the breakout rookie last year who surprised everyone with his vast improvement is still expected to play a lot of point in the early goings until Russell is able to adjust to the NBA style of play.
Julius Randle will be heading into the season practically in the same way he did last year. No thanks to an injury sustained in his first game, he has the chance to start once more and prove why he was a highly touted player in the college ranks.
Summing it all up, these three players hold the key to the Lakers' future. It may not come this year but perhaps in the following years. For now, the Lakers can at least try to improve on their poor finishes in the previous two seasons.
One they do that, everything else should follow, although there is no definite timetable for that to happen.
