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5. Los Angeles Lakers- Nine Games (26-56 to 35-47)
While on the surface, the Los Angeles Lakers’ improvement may seem similar to the Nets as one of the league’s worst teams in 2016-17 that improved to simply mediocre in 2017-18. Yet, the Lakers’ improvement was more meaningful because of the progress made by their young players. The Lakers ranked 2nd in total rebounds and 7th in assists. The latter is particularly impressive, considering that it indicates a modern NBA offense reliant on ball movement- boding well for their future.
The Lakers were also entertaining, playing at the league’s second quickest pace.
More importantly, the previous season saw Brandon Ingram finally start to make full use of his potential. Similarly, Julius Randle finally got his act together and became one of the best scorers on the team. Yet, perhaps most impressive was the performance of young rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma who flourished.
Coming in, Lonzo was perhaps a little overhyped, however, the point guard flashed his defensive potential (ranking 1st in Defensive Box Plus/Minus on the team) while also providing 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds. Kuzma was a brilliant scorer, ranking fourth among rookies in points. Despite such performances, the Lakers still struggled due to their lack of shooting, ranking 22nd in offensive rating.
While this prevented the Lakers from making the playoffs, the performance of their young players bodes well for their future. This is especially true as the Lakers are positioned to be a top free agent destination for the likes of LeBron James and Paul George.
