NBA 2018/19: 3 most disappointing Lakers of the season so far

With the halfway point of the 2018/19 NBA season quickly approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers are in a competitive position for the first time in half a decade. The team has been in a permanent decline since they last won the NBA Finals in 2010, and the Lakers have failed to reach the playoffs since 2013.

Nevertheless, LeBron James' addition in the 2018 off-season has completely transformed the Lakers into contenders, and the team currently sit 8th in the Western Conference. Despite recently turning 34, James has continued to demonstrate why he is the NBA's best player, while a number of other players on the roster have stepped up. Josh Hart has been effective at both ends, while JaVale McGee is having the best season of his career.

Despite this, not every member of the Lakers roster has had a good start to the season, and here we will look at the three players who need to pick up their form in the coming months.

#3 Michael Beasley

Beasley has not featured much for the Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Michael Beasley to a one-year, $3.5 million contract back in July, although things haven't worked out as planned. Last season with the Knicks, Beasley enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Despite this, the 29-year-old has failed to get good minutes in the Lakers rotation, and personal issues have resulted in Beasley spending long periods away from the team.

Beasley's disappointing season has been through no fault of his own. Beasley is averaging 5.7 points in just 8.6 minutes per game and is shooting a career high of .574 from the field. Nevertheless, Beasley's move to the Lakers hasn't worked out, and the veteran could be traded this month.

#2 Lonzo Ball

Upon being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Lonzo Ball was expected to be a key component of the Lakers for years to come. Ball had an injury-disrupted first season with the team. However, despite competition from Rajon Rondo, the 21-year-old has established himself as a regular member of Luke Walton's starting lineup.

While Ball has steadily improved this season, the point guard has yet to show that he is vital to the Lakers future. The LA native continues to struggle with his shot, and while LeBron James was out injured towards the end of 2018, Ball failed to demonstrate that he can be a player to step up in the superstar's absence.

The young guard is currently averaging 9.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, and Ball will need to contribute more in order to convince the Lakers management not to trade him this summer.

#1 Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram has recently delivered a number of good performances, but when looking at his contributions for the entire season so far, Ingram has been underwhelming. The youngster has failed to push on from his promising 17/18 season, and both of Ingram's rebound and assist totals have dropped from last year.

Ingram's point per game total has also only improved slightly from 16.1 to 16.5, and his shooting percentage from behind the arc has also fallen to a dismal .291.

Ingram is still just 21-years-old, but time may be running out for the forward to demonstrate that the Lakers must keep him out of trade talks. This is, after all, Ingram's third season in the NBA, and despite flashes of brilliance, the Lakers man is yet to live up to the comparisons to Kevin Durant.

Ultimately, Ingram is one of the most talented players in the NBA, and it remains to be seen if he will ever deliver on his potential.

Edited by Sai Krishna