Los Angeles Lakers: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

Gil Alcaraz IV

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrati during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

If even a couple of these bold predictions come true for the Los Angeles Lakers, it will have been a pretty great 2017-18 season for the purple and gold.

There’s a lot of skepticism surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers‘ upcoming 2017-18 campaign. It’s understandable considering the team’s ineptitude in recent years, but I’m getting the feeling it’s going to be a different story this season.

Don’t get me wrong — the Lakers are miles away from contention right now. It’s going to take a strong 2018 offseason if they plan on getting anywhere past the first round of the playoffs. That doesn’t mean, though, that we should completely write them off now. There’s more fight in this squad than most people want to give them credit for.

So what can we expect from Los Angeles in 2017-18? Should we be talking playoffs, or will the eventual outcome be something more along the lines of ESPN‘s Kevin Pelton’s prediction of a 33-49 finish? It’s probably too early to tell, but the possibilities are endless with so much basketball still to be played.

Instead of coming up with some bland predictions, though, I decided to take it a step further. As a result, I’ve come up with a few “bold” predictions for the Lakers’ 2017-18 season. These are meant to push the limits of logic, so don’t lose your marbles if they seem implausible.

So here they are — my five bold predictions for the Lakers in 2017-18. Just remember to take them for what they are; don’t take it too seriously. It is only August, after all.

Lakers acquire 2018 first round pick

Seeing the way Magic Johnson has run this team so far, my guess is he’s convinced he needs a 2018 first round pick to keep the ball rolling with this rebuild. Landing two superstars next offseason would be a tremendous start, but the Lakers need bench pieces too.

Magic finds a taker for Luol Deng‘s contract

Even higher on Magic’s to-do list is unloading Luol Deng’s albatross of a contract. Scheduled to make an average of $18 million over the next three years (via Spotrac.com), the veteran forward is coming off an underwhelming 2016-17 campaign plagued by injury.

So not only is Deng costing the Lakers a boatload of money, but he’s giving them near nothing in return. Hence, Johnson will be making every effort between now and next offseason to find a taker. Unfortunately, it’s likely going to cost Los Angeles more than it would like to part with — similar to the Timofey Mozgov deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

Then again, maybe that’s how they land a first round pick as previously mentioned. I’m sure there are at least a couple of teams willing to take on that contract if it means landing a player like Randle or Clarkson. If a pick gets thrown in to help even out the deal, then so be it.

Either way, the important part is getting Deng and that ridiculous cap figure off the books. Chances are the Lakers are going to do whatever it takes to make that happen, seeing as the endgame is to land a couple of superstars in 2018. That may not occur if Deng’s money is still restricting Los Angeles financially when free agency begins.

Lonzo Ball earns All-Star nod

No, I’m not going to make the easy prediction and say Lonzo Ball wins the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award. That’s just the coward’s way out, even if his fellow rookies only believe he’s second most likely to win the award.

I will, however, predict that Ball makes the All-Star game as a reserve. It’ll be a tedious task for the rookie point guard, who faces plenty of competition throughout the Western Conference. However, as we all know, popularity and playing for the Lakers can certainly help his cause.

In fact, that’s largely what it’ll come down to. With one of the most rabid fanbases in all of sports, the Lakers have little trouble getting support from their faithful following. Especially with Lonzo’s (and LaVar’s) recent rise to stardom, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see fans from around the league throw a vote Ball’s way.

It’s not solely a popularity contest, though. Ball is more than capable of earning votes with his play, as we saw in NBA Summer League. While the young point guard is sure to battle through some growing pains in 2017-18, his elite passing skills and knack for making highlight reel plays will help him make a case for All-Star status as a rookie.

Staying alive in a race that includes players like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul will be difficult. In the end, though, I see Ball sneaking into the 2017-18 All-Star game as a bench player.

Brandon Ingram wins Most Improved Player award

Ball may not win any hardware, but that doesn’t mean his teammates won’t either.

Magic and the Lakers are very high on Brandon Ingram heading into 2017-18. There’s a reason he was made the team’s only “untouchable” this offseason, and it’s not because of his good looks. No, it’s because he’s a former No. 2 overall pick with a sky-high ceiling.

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This upcoming season, we’re going to see Ingram take a big step toward reaching that ceiling. It’ll be a night-and-day difference between his rookie and sophomore campaigns. The improvement will be so apparent that, when all is said and done, Ingram will have rightfully earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

It would be a pretty elite group of players he’d be joining by winning the honor. In the last five years, Giannis Antetokounmpo, C.J. McCollum, Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Paul George have earned the designation. If Ingram can turn out anything like any of those players, the Lakers will be thanking their lucky stars.

The Lakers knew they had a good one in Ingram, but we’ve yet to see just how good he can be. Before the 2017-18 season is in the books, we’ll have a much clearer idea of what type of star he’s quickly developing into.

Lakers secure No. 8 seed in final regular season game

In most people’s minds, this Lakers team is not a playoff-caliber squad. While that’s a fair assessment, I’m a firm believer that this group has undergone drastic improvement since last season. That’s part of why they’ll be playoff-bound in 2018.

Trust me, it won’t last long. In fact, it’ll take until the final game of the regular season to secure the spot. The Lakers square off with the Los Angeles Clippers in the finale, at which point I’m predicting they’ll be right in the middle of the race for the eighth seed. A hard-fought win bumps them ahead of the competition, allowing them to sneak into the postseason.

Unfortunately, having the eighth seed should also mean a first round showdown with the Golden State Warriors. As we all can probably guess, that won’t end well for the Lakers. Even if the Warriors are dealing with injuries at that time, their roster is too loaded to let a fringe playoff team take them down.

Still, it’ll be a fun ride. It’ll also be great to see so many of the skeptics tasting their own feet when the Lakers book their trip to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Next: Ranking Magic Johnson's best offseason moves

It’s not going to be easy, especially in a Western Conference that’s overflowing with playoff-caliber squads. Still, with an influx of talent across the board, another year with Luke Walton at the helm and an exciting young point guard running the show, anything is possible for the Lakers this year.

Gil Alcaraz IV

NFL expert, self-proclaimed craft beer connoisseur and proud husband/father.