With excitement building for the 2016-17 season, here are five bold predictions for how the Los Angeles Lakers will fare.
For the first time in a long time, the summer before the 2016-17 NBA season is filled with optimism and excitement for Los Angeles Lakers fans.
Led by a promising young core composed of D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr., with support from seasoned veterans in Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov and Lou Williams, the purple and gold are ready to start the process of returning to their storied competitiveness in a new era.
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The fans have already seen glimpses of that promise this summer as Russell, Ingram, Nance and 2016 second round pick Ivica Zubac showed off tremendous talent in the Las Vegas Summer League before the first two participated along with Randle in the three-day USA Men’s Basketball training camp session, honing their skills against some of the best players in the world.
With all of that fresh in the minds of the Laker faithful, expectations for the team’s performance next season are reasonably higher than they’ve been in recent years. Former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton is now at the helm, and the change of culture seems to already be evident in the demeanor of his young players.
In light of that and the rapid development taking place, here are five bold predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016-17 season.
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