National Basketball Association

5 Most Underrated Los Angeles Lakers Heading Into 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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As subpar as their rosters have been over the past few years, the Los Angeles Lakers offer several stars in the making who deserve more respect heading into 2016-17.

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Believe it or not, things are looking up for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17.

Coming off a miserable 2015-16 season that saw them finish with the worst record in franchise history, things can only go up from here. It’ll help that the roster has a heaping pile of high-upside talent available.

It may or may not be a good thing, but several of their top players aren’t currently being looked at as the rising stars they are. Some might even venture to consider them “underrated” as we move closer to the 2016-17 campaign. Either way, there’s a lot to like about this Lakers roster.

The team has a couple of young stars in the making who aren’t quite getting the credit they deserve for their ever-improving abilities. A few other significant contributors have more than earned their keep in Los Angeles, but don’t get much respect from fans around the NBA.

Hopefully that’ll all change before next offseason rolls around.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Lakers’ five most underrated players heading into the 2016-17 season.

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PG – Marcelo Huertas

I know some folks are going to scoff at this, but just hear me out. Believe it or not, Marcelo Huertas is an underrated asset for the Lakers.

Sure, he’s an average point guard who currently sits at No. 3 on the Los Angeles depth chart. He’s only had one year in the NBA, and is on the backend of his career at 33 years of age. However, I think he brings a lot to the team off the court — and he’s a pretty solid bench player as well.

What I really like about Huertas is his veteran experience, even if all but one year of it came overseas. He’s a wily, creative playmaker who does a great job of using angles and finesse to create opportunities for his teammates. Especially with the Lakers’ young group of guards, he provides so much value as a mentor.

Last season, Huertas managed only 4.5 points, 3.4 assists and 0.5 steals per game. However, he’s fun to watch and certainly brings a unique spark off the bench.

Huertas is a great guy to have in the locker room, which is likely a big reason why the Lakers brought him back after his rookie season. I’d anticipate another quality campaign for the Brazilian, even if he only sees limited minutes behind Jose Calderon.

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C – Ivica Zubac

I’m not a big fan of labeling rookies as under or overrated, but I believe Ivica Zubac fits the bill.

The Lakers’ 2016 second-round pick didn’t receive a lot of hype heading into the draft, mainly due to his age and raw skill set. However, between his 7-foot-1 frame and obvious potential, there’s a lot to like about the 19-year-old center.

Based on what we saw during Summer League, he may even pay dividends for the Lakers sooner than originally anticipated. In five appearances, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks for Los Angeles. While it must be taken with a grain of salt, it was certainly an eye-opening summer for the Bosnian big man.

It’ll be interesting to see how he performs during training camp. Even with Timofey Mozgov and Tarik Black on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zubac carve out a role early during his time with the Lakers. I even “boldly” predicted last month that he’d steal some significant starts when all was said and done.

Zubac’s rookie season can go in a number of directions, but I see his stock rising at an exciting pace in 2016-17.

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PF – Larry Nance Jr.

Not much was expected from Larry Nance Jr. when the Lakers spent a second-round pick on him in 2015. However, it didn’t take long for him to prove he inherited some of the skills that made his father a three-time NBA All Star.

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During his rookie campaign, Nance averaged 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals while asserting himself as a thunderous dunker. While he’s still got a lot of growing to do as he heads into Year 2, the ceiling is very high for the high-flying forward.

It also helps that Nance is a better fit for Luke Walton’s up-tempo approach, which should better utilize the athleticism that the Wyoming product brings to the table. He should immediately compete for minutes at both the 3- and 4-spots, and should see more than the 20.1 minutes per game that he averaged last season.

The presence of Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle limit his long-term potential with the Lakers. However, based on what we saw in 2015-16, it’s easy to imagine Nance developing into one of Los Angeles’ top options off the bench.

He’s underrated right now as we head into 2016-17, but he won’t be for long.

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PG – D’Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell earned a lot of mixed reviews during his rookie season. Some games, he looked like a star in the making. Then, other games, he’d look like a raw, immature guard who still had a long way to go. However, I’m confident he’ll take the next step in his maturation in 2016-17.

Russell looked like he had already undergone considerable development during Summer League this offseason. He was the Lakers’ top scoring option, and still did a great job of dishing the rock and cleaning the glass — especially for a point guard.

So why is there still this stigma that Russell isn’t worth the hype?

Sure, he had an up-and-down rookie season muddled by some off-the-court issues. However, the flashes we saw were more than enough to ward off the early “bust” label. His impressive Summer League showing also should have quieted any critics of the former No. 2 overall pick.

Russell still has high expectations to meet in 2016-17, but I think he’s got the tools to get the job done. Especially with an improved supporting cast and Kobe Bryant out of the picture, the opportunity is there for Russell to step into the spotlight and become the new face of the franchise.

Until that happens, though, Russell will continue to be overlooked as one of the NBA’s best young guards.

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SG – Jordan Clarkson

Speaking of the league’s best young guards, it blows my mind how little respect Jordan Clarkson gets in that regard. The 2014 second-round pick has exceeded all expectations, yet continues to not get the credit he deserves for everything he’s accomplished.

That will absolutely change in 2016-17.

There are a couple of differences between this year and last that should truly benefit Clarkson. The first is the arrival ofWalton’s up-tempo scheme, which will take better advantage of Clarkson’s overflowing athleticism. He should also benefit from the permanent move to shooting guard.

It also didn’t help that, for much of last season, he was on the court alongside Bryant and Lou Williams. Both are trigger-happy shooters, which limited his opportunities to score and often hindered the flow of the game. With Bryant retired and Williams coming off the bench, Clarkson should have more room to unleash his athleticism.

Clarkson still has more work to do–especially on defense–but has all the makings of a star.

Russell and Clarkson could emerge as one of the NBA’s best backcourts before the 2016-17 campaign is over.