5 Most Underrated Los Angeles Lakers Heading Into 2016-17

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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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.

Jordan Clarkson
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Related Story: 5 Lakers With The Most To Prove In 2016-17

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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