The Los Angeles Lakers: Will Youth Be An Asset?

Last year’s potential for the Los Angeles Lakers was definitely thwarted by both injury and clashes in personality. Both Steve Nash (part) and Kobe Bryant (all) lost the 2013 postseason to injury. These two stars are also L.A.’s oldest players, followed by Pau Gasol, who also went into the offseason with ailing knees.  A coach with an aging roster, flawed strategy and disgruntled man in the middle, Mike D’Antoni faced a river of criticism.

Mitch Kupchak has seemed to make the best of their tight cap space by acquiring several young talents that were sorely missing from the roster last season. Despite the question marks that each player may have, they will definitely be a sight for sore eyes in term of athleticism and ability to play uptempo. Last season’s team did feature some young faces, but names like Darius Morris aren’t the most endearing for Laker fans. The additions of Nick Young, Wesley Johnson, Marcus Landry, Xavier Henry and Shawne Williams are a mixture of different aspects of the game that L.A. could have used last season.

At first glance, each of these players, outside of Young, are all names that would leave basketball fans scratching their heads. Shawne Williams and Nick Young could arguably be the best outside shooters that L.A. has had in years. Despite being out of the league for a few years, Williams was once a New York Knick under Mike D’Antoni, boasting a shooting percentage of well better than 40 percent from long range during the 2010-11 season. Nick Young has always had a flair for the dramatic with a streaky scoring touch. He could very well become L.A.’s second go-to scorer outside of the Black Mamba, as he averages 11.3 points per game for his career. Not world-beating numbers, but with a team that struggles with scoring from the wing, Young’s game is more than welcomed.

Defensively, the Lakers have a plethora of opportunities with Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace departing. Former lottery picks Xavier Henry and Wes Johnson can instantly find a role on that side of the ball. Henry not only provides a strong wing, but also could find the scoring ability that pegged him as one of college’s best prospects at Kansas. Averaging 13.4 points per game during his freshmen campaign, the ability is definitely there for Henry. Not too many NBA players possess the length that Johnson is equipped with. Coach Mike D’Antoni and teammates, such as Jordan Farmar, are raving about his abilities:

Farmar spoke about Johnson earlier during this week’s training camp, when asked was there anyone who stood out during practices.

"“Yeah man, I’m having to get used to Wesley (Johnson). He’s really, really long and athletic on defense, and makes some plays that are incredible. He’ll be leaning one way, and still manage to reach back and get a steal. He has a knack for getting his hand on the ball, so there are a lot of things he can do on defense that will help us. And he’s shooting the hell out of the ball as well, so I’ve been happy to see that. He’s a very, very capable NBA player.”"

With a complete training camp and cementing himself in the mold of modern defensive-minded small forwards, Mike D’Antoni could find plenty of playing time for the former Syracuse standout.

Marcus Landry is also not a stranger to strong defense and shooting. His time at the University of Wisconsin proved that he could compete on both ends of the court. Recently, Landry was the reigning D-League 3-point shooting champion at its All-Star weekend. During the 2013 NBA Summer League, he was the Lakers’ best player and exhibited flashes of shooting and defensive versatility. Several plays highlights Landry’s offensive capabilities:

Each player could validate all beliefs of what got them signed by this storied franchise, but it will all come down to seizing opportunity and maximizing ability.

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