National Basketball Association

Lakers: 5 Storylines To Follow Heading Into Training Camp

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

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With preseason just a week away in Los Angeles, here are five storylines to watch for in training camp.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. In sunny Southern California, things are starting to heat up literally and figuratively.

The Los Angeles Ram are on a hot streak, winning two of their last three games, the Dodgers are sitting pretty at the top of the NL West and Landon Donovan is back with the Galaxy.

Oh, and Lakers basketball is back.

Yesterday marked the official start of training camp and there is a sense of optimism around this young team.

More from Lake Show Life

It’s easy to be excited when a single game has yet to be played, but the wait will soon be over.

On Oct. 4, the Lakers will tip-off their first game of the 2016-17 preseason against DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings.

Unlike the Kings, the Lakers have somewhat of an idea what they’re doing going forward.

Side note: if you have any inside information on what the Kings are actually doing, please contact DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins).

With a handful of promising, young prospects and some good character vets, the Lakers are looking like a real NBA team for the first time in years.

However, with the first game of the Luke Walton era around the corner, there are a number of questions that should be answered before the season starts.

With that in mind, here are five key storylines to watch for in training camp.

Which Timofey Mozgov did the Lakers sign?

Sep 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (20) poses at media day at Toyota Sports Center.. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers paid a lot of money for the Russian big man, but can he live up to it?

Where were you July 1, 2016?

I was at dinner constantly refreshing my feed on Twitter, checking to see which big name free agent the Lakers signed with all of their money.

Was it going to be Hassan Whiteside? Al Horford? Festus Ezeli? Timofey Mozgov?

It was Timofey Mozgov.

.@WojVerticalNBA: Lakers, Timofey Mozgov have agreed to four-year, $64 million deal.

Live: https://t.co/92ODzkg0ai

— The Vertical (@TheVertical) July 1, 2016

The 30-year-old Russian center that averaged 6.3 points and 3 rebounds per game signed a four-year deal, with no options, that will make him the second highest paid player on the roster.

Needless to say fans weren’t thrilled with this singing. To make things worse, news broke over the summer that Mozgov was having an issue with a groin injury that caused him to miss team with the Russian national team.

The same kind of nagging injuries caused him to underperform in his second year with the Cleveland Cavaliers and ultimately costed him a spot in the Cavs rotation.

Luckily, Mozgov’s injury wasn’t too serious and he’s expected to be ready for training camp with no restrictions.

When Mozgov is healthy, he is an above average NBA center, but the “when healthy” asterisk has plagued the Lakers over the past few years. Whether it be Kobe Bryant or Steve Nash, the Lakers have had their fair share of injured star players.

Going with the assumption that he will play more than 70 games – which he has only done three times in his career – Mozgov can be exactly what the Lakers need.

Not can he a defensive powerhouse, but he can also provide a grit on the offensive end that the Lakers haven’t had in years. In his first season with the Cavs, Mozgov was an absolute monster in the playoffs.

While his stats weren’t jaw dropping, the 10.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game was a huge reason the Cavs made it to seven games against the Golden State Warriors in 2015.

If Mozgov can stay healthy and put up numbers when he’s on the floor, the $16 million he’s due next season won’t hurt as much.

But it will still sting a little bit.

Who are the first guys off the bench?

Sep 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Zach Auguste (29), guard Anthony Brown (3) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) pose for a selfie at media day at Toyota Sports Center.. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With depth at multiple positions, the Lakers have a good problem on their hands.

With the exception of a handful of players, no one is guaranteed a spot in Luke Walton’s rotation.

D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Luol Deng, Julius Randle and Timofey Mozgov are all expected to start when the season tips-off in late October.

Former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams should have a role with the team, along with fan favorite Larry Nance Jr and No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram. Aside from that, your guess is as good as mine for who will come off the bench.

The backcourt is where the mystery starts.

After the Lakers acquired sweet shooting veteran point guard José Calderón, it seemed like the Marcelo Huertas era in Los Angeles was over. But to the surprise of many fans, the Lakers re-signed the Brazilian to a two-year deal the very next day.

Huertas made his NBA debut last season with the Purple and Gold, where he displayed his ability as a playmaker off the bench but also showed what a liability he was on defense.

Calderón, an 11-year veteran, is just as much of a problem on defense, but at least he makes up for some of it with his scoring ability. Not only was he in the top 10 for 3-point percentage (41%) last season, but he is also in the top three for 3-point percentage (45%) over the last five years.

With the Lakers now embracing the 3-point line, Calderón would be a good fit to backup Russell.

The frontcourt is where things get tricky.

Larry Nance Jr. should be part of the rotation this season, but that doesn’t mean he will. Nine of the 20 players competing for a roster spot are front court players, not including Luol Deng and Ingram who could also see some time at the 4.

While it’s not likely any one of the five training camp invites will actually get a roster spot, there is still a logjam at the front court with Yi Jianlian, Tarik Black, Ivica Zubac, and Nance Jr.

Does Zubac continue to blow people away with his size and soft touch around the rim? Does Black show the fans more of what they already know? Does Jianlian’s shooting translate to the NBA?

All of these questions will hopefully be answered sooner than later.

Who is ready to make the leap this season?

Sep 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton (center) poses with guard D’Angelo Russell (1), guard Julius Randle (30) and guard Jordan Clarkson (6) at media day at Toyota Sports Center.. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers have a solid group of young players, but none that have broken out just yet.

To be fair, most of them are only coming into their second season. With the exception of Jordan Clarkson and Tarik Black, most of the returning players are sophomores.

Technically Julius Randle is in his third year, but after a season ending injury the first game of his rookie season, he played his first full season last year.

After a year or two under their belt, one of these players have to be a poised for a breakout year, right?

The assumption is that D’Angelo Russell will be the first to break from the pack, and that’s a fair assumption to make.

With a new head coach who has already earned his respect and the most talent he’s been surrounded by in his young NBA career, it would be surprising not to see Russell make huge steps in his sophomore season.

However, one name that isn’t brought up too much is Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson signed a four-year, $50 million deal this summer to stay with the Purple and Gold.

In his rookie season, he became the first Laker ever to win Western Conference Rookie of the Month. His play after the All-Star break earned him a spot on the All-Rookie first team as a second round pick.

His sophomore season showed an increase in both points and 3-point percentage, but a decline in assists per game.

Per Game Table
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	2P	2PA	2P%	eFG%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2014-15	22	LAL	NBA	PG	59	38	25.0	4.5	10.1	.448	0.6	2.1	.314	3.9	8.1	.482	.480	2.2	2.7	.829	0.9	2.3	3.2	3.5	0.9	0.2	1.6	1.8	11.9
2015-16	23	LAL	NBA	SG	79	79	32.3	6.0	13.9	.433	1.4	4.1	.347	4.6	9.8	.468	.483	2.1	2.6	.804	1.2	2.8	4.0	2.4	1.1	0.1	1.7	2.1	15.5
Career	NBA	138	117	29.2	5.4	12.3	.438	1.1	3.2	.338	4.3	9.1	.473	.482	2.1	2.6	.815	1.1	2.6	3.7	2.9	1.0	0.1	1.7	2.0	14.0

This has a lot to do with the fact that he moved over to the 2 to play alongside Russell, something the Lakers are confident will work out.

“Our vision would be that both of those players play together in the backcourt for 10-12 years,” Kupchak said in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio’s Brian Geltzeiler and Rick Mahorn. “That’s what we’re hoping for. We don’t look at them as players that can’t play with each other or have to play with somebody else. We think they can play together.”

Clarkson has been working hard to improve his shot this summer, so his fit next to Russell shouldn’t be a spacing issue.

Another Laker expected to show his new found shooting range is Julius Randle. Randle has been heavily criticized early on his career for his range, or lack thereof.

But it looks like Randle has been working tirelessly all summer to become a threat away from the basket.

Combine his expanded range with his bully ball style of play and you have yourself a scary NBA player. In what was his essentially his rookie season, Randle averaged a double-double.

Below are the list of players drafted in 2014 that also averaged a double-double.

The Lakers are in the midst of what’s supposed to be a lengthy rebuild, but with the hard work the returning players have put in this summer, it might not be as a long as once anticipated.

What can we expect from Ingram in his rookie season?

Sep 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) poses at media day at Toyota Sports Center.. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After a decent showing at Summer League, Brandon Ingram has the chance to surprise people as a rookie.

News broke that the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram, will start on the bench this season and everyone just lost their minds.

Much of this has to do with the fear that Luke Walton is going to be Byron Scott reincarnate and stall Ingram’s development, but I assure you things are much different this time around.

Unlike Scott, Walton has a valid reason not to play Ingram at the start of the season. According to Mark Medina of LA Daily News, Walton is doing this to protect Ingram in his rookie season.

Despite praising rookie forward Brandon Ingram for his playmaking and versatility, Walton said “we’re not going to throw him into the starting lineup right away” out of concern how he handles a grueling 82-game schedule.

“You develop the young core by rewarding them when they play well,” Walton said. “If there’s 10 games left in the season and out of the playoffs and there’s some vets that played long minutes all season, maybe you play all your young guys to finish out the season. But when you’re going through the season, you’re not doing anyone any favors just by playing young guys so they can play if they’re not out there playing the right way.”

Not only is Ingram’s body not ready for the beat down of an 82 game season, but the Lakers also aren’t as talent deprived as they were last year.

The Lakers did a good job of bringing in high character veterans this summer, including Timofey Mozgov, José Calderón and two time All-Star Luol Deng. Deng is projected to start at small forward for the Lakers to start the season, barring a 81 point performance by Ingram.

However, this does not mean Ingram will stop working for that starting spot. In fact, Ingram is using his bench role – the first bench role of his basketball career – as motivation for the season.

Brandon Ingram on Luke Walton saying he probably won’t start him right away: “Hearing that gives me motivation to work hard.”
(on @TheHerd)

— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) September 19, 2016

Ingram’s 7’3 wingspan and 6’10 height makes him a mismatch at almost every position, but his thin frame can be a problem in his rookie season. But if Ingram can adapt to the physicality of the NBA and get his shots to fall early, expect that bench role to be short lived.

How much does Luke Walton actually change the Lakers?

Sep 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton is interviewed by reporters at media day at Toyota Sports Center.. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Even with tempered expectations for this young team, the fans might not take losses as kindly.

Lakers fans are the most spoiled fans in the NBA. 16 championships, 21 Hall of Famers and 20 years of Kobe Bean Bryant. What more could we possibly want?

Wins.

After four consecutive years missing the playoffs, fans are growing restless having to root for a team not wearing purple and gold (or gold and purple if you’re Ivica Zubac).

Playoff basketball seems like a reach for this young Lakers squad, especially with the departure of future face of the NBA Robert Sacre, but that won’t stop fans from dreaming.

and my favorite:

The Lakers are projected to improve from their woeful 17-win season to around 24.5 wins, according to Las Vegas oddsmaker SuperBook. 24.5 wins seems reasonable for the Lakers, considering most of the players on the roster aren’t even old enough to drink in Vegas – or anywhere – yet.

However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to play competitive basketball.

“Are we competing? Are we playing for each other? Are we selfless? Is the ball moving? If we feel like we’re playing with those intentions and that effort, that to me is a successful season,” he told Mark Medina of LA Daily News.

In other words, he’s saying all of the things a young coach with a rebuilding team should be saying, which is really easy to get behind when no one has played a game yet.

But when the losses start piling on – and they will – Walton will have to face the passionate, and often delusional, Lakers fanbase.

Remember how much everyone loved Byron Scott before the first game was played? Remember when Magic, Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes were confident that Scott was going to bring showtime back to Los Angeles?

While I do believe Walton will fair better than Scott, there’s a chance this season will look a lot like the past few seasons.

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