Los Angeles Lakers: Are the growing pains showing progress?

It has been a rollercoaster ride for the Los Angeles Lakers so far. Through it all, this young batch of Lakers have turned in some impressive performances. While their record may not reflect it, this season is turning out to be better than expected. So, just how much have the growing pains displayed progress?

The Los Angeles Lakers (18-29) are currently riding a three-game winning streak. While at times this team has been plagued by youth and outside distractions, other times it looks ready to take another step forward in development. It is no secret that the Lakers all about being relevant and chasing titles. However, recent times have yet to provide either scenario for L.A.

Enough of the bad. In reality, this team has quality that will only improve with time — the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, to name a few. Also thrown in the mix now is Julius Randle, who has played excellent in limited minutes.

For now, let’s forget trade scenarios and future max player space that’ll need to be addressed in the offseason. What if this current roster stayed together and grew more?

Yes, it is inevitable that the Lakers will not keep everyone. Guys like Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson may be sacrificed to bring in big names. However, there is no doubt Luke Walton has these guys improving as the season goes on. Whether people agree on Walton’s use of these players or not, their record is better than at this time last season, and the young guys play hard every night.

While not a huge improvement, the Lakers’ record is better than it was at this time last season (16-33). Last season, the Lakers the were sixth in pace and 30th in defensive rating. This year, L.A. is first in pace and 12th in defensive rating. While the team still struggles offensively from beyond the arc, those are still big improvements over last season.

Some of these players who may not return next season will cash in somewhere else. But, it begins with how they’re playing this season with the Lakers. The growing pains in L.A. are nothing compared to years past. By the look of things, L.A. fans should expect less than 50 losses at this point, assuming these youngsters continue to play hard.

One more area that’s been overlooked is the absence of Lonzo Ball. The Los Angeles Lakers clearly have issues when they don’t have a point guard with great vision and passing ability. While Jordan Clarkson has played well, he is more of a scoring guard and not much of an assist guy. Lonzo ignites that offense on fast breaks, pushes the pace with his rebounding, and his court vision allows him to put the ball in places only he can put it in. So, yes, judge his shooting struggles, but everything else he does makes a difference.

Who the Los Angeles Lakers decide to keep will be interesting. However, as of right now, this team has benefited from the growing pains. Right now the Lakers may even get their first four-game winning streak of the season, but the mental toughness this team has displayed is extraordinary. Luke Walton, for all the criticism, has done a fine job with this group.

Overall, the Los Angeles Lakers are on track as scheduled. There’s no rush with this team at the moment. With time and hard work, they will continue to improve. Luke Walton’s patience and plan is taking its course on this team.

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While Laker fans still have to wait a bit longer, the time for success is coming. This young Lakers core needs at least the rest of the season to continue growing. And by then, there might be another star to lead the way and help with that growth.