5 Los Angeles Lakers Storylines To Follow In 2016-17

Who Will Be The Next Face Of The Franchise?

As we all know, Bryant is busy enjoying retirement. The Lakers will move forward without arguably the prominent player in franchise history. That means Los Angeles needs a new face of the franchise.

Surprisingly, there are a number of options to fill that role as we head into the 2016-17 season.

The first, and most likely, option at this moment is D’Angelo Russell.

The sophomore point guard flashed some serious skills a year ago, and has looked like the team’s go-to star through the Summer League and preseason. However, he needs to mature and display some consistency before we can crown him the new face of the Lakers.

The next best option is Ingram, the other No. 2 overall pick currently on this roster.

The rookie has the physical tools to be a star, but is coming along slowly during his early days with the Lakers. Walton is clearly trying to avoid putting too much pressure on him early, but fans will get rowdy if Ingram doesn’t start to shine soon. He started slow and then exploded at Duke, so the same could happen in Los Angeles.

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You could also make an argument for Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, but I don’t think either has the required star power–at least based on what I’ve seen. Clarkson will always be an exciting No. 2 option, and Randle is too inconsistent on offense and limited on defense.

My guess is Russell will assume the superstar role for the Lakers. However, anything could conceivably happen in 2016-17 with all of the uncertainty surrounding this team.