'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAkIb/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAH//xAAjEAACAQMBCQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABAUGBxESITEyUWGR/9oACAEBAAE/ANm+lcXf2mcmzrMHSwaS2hG/z3kr7A5VPHLHPIiI6qrEAcXQfa//xAAaEQABBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAAECAxNR/9oACAECAQE/AKztNjxf/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgABIf/aAAgBAwEBPwB4Dc//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The King is in the City of Angels, ladies and gentlemen! "Hollywood" could not have written a better script than this. LeBron James is all ready to play in the Western Conference for the first time in his career in the famous Laker purple and gold.
LeBron has joined a team rich in history being the second most decorated team in the NBA with 16 championships to its name. The Los Angeles Lakers have had so many great players in the past with Kobe Bryant being the last one to hang up his boots. As LeBron will walk into Staples Center night in, night out, he will see those banners hanging and the great legends' jerseys hanging knowing that he can create his own legacy and bring back the NBA title to Los Angeles.
LeBron James proved that age is not a factor as his efficiency was through the roof with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. He carried the Cavs on his shoulders for most of the season and took them to the NBA finals where LeBron met his match as his team got steamrolled by an all-star Golden State Warriors side. LeBron was tired of carrying the burden of an ageing Cleveland team that featured only Kevin Love who was an all-star.
Joining the Lakers made sense for LeBron as he signed a three year contract with the organisation.
But are the Lakers more than just a one-man team with LeBron? There are multiple reasons to suggest that the Lakers are more than just LeBron James.
#1 Signing of free agents like JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and Rajon Rondo
Not only did the Lakers back office do an incredible job in clearing cap space to pick up LeBron James but they also managed to acquire some great experienced talent in free agency in the offseason.
The Lakers acquired JaVale McGee from the Golden State Warriors. McGee is going to be an important starter for the Lakers in the 2018-19 season. He is a physical presence with a great touch around the rim. He is a blocking machine making him a force to reckon with. His championship winning experiences with the Warriors will be handy if the Lakers are to make the playoffs this season.
The Lakers also managed to gain the services of the seasoned veteran, Rajon Rondo. Rondo is one of the best students of the game and his passing is second to none. Rondo can slot into the starting playmaking, point guard role for the Lakers. Rondo will have another important role apart from being a facilitator and that will be to nurture the young, budding star, Lonzo Ball.
The acquisitions of Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley have added more depth to the Lakers. Lance Stephenson and Beasley will come in handy over the long 82 game season and in the post-season if they Lakers do make the playoffs.
#2 The Young Three
The Lakers probably have the best young core in the league. Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka refused to give up Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma or Lonzo Ball for the famous Kawhi Leonard and that says something about the talent that these three Laker youngsters possess.
If that is not enough proof to suggest the amount of talent Ingram, Kuz and Lonzo have then think about how content James was to sign for the Lakers and play alongside these stars.
Brandon Ingram is touted to be the next big thing and even the great Laker legend Magic Johnson believes that Ingram is going to be the face of the Lakers for years to come.
Kyle Kuzma made it to the All-Rookie First Team last season and the Lakers found a steal by picking him up as the 27th pick in the NBA draft.
LeBron James believes that Lonzo Ball will be a future star for the Lakers. Lonzo is a great team player and provides the team with great balance. His efficiency is something that will only make the Lakers better and under the supervision of James, Rondo, and Magic, the sky is the limit for the 2nd pick of the 2017 NBA draft.
The young three of the Lakers do not lack confidence. They play quick and fearless basketball and showed signs of the Lakers' ShowTime on occasions last season. Do not be surprised to see a lot more of that with the depth of the Lakers squad this time on.
#3 The emergence of Josh Hart
Josh Hart was the 30th pick in the 2017 NBA draft and the Lakers hit the jackpot with him as well, just like they did with Kuzma.
Hart started finding his feet late in the 2017-18 season but once he did, he became the regular starter for the young Lakers team. As a starter, he averaged a decent 13 PPG (points per game) and he has carried that form into this year as well.
He has been working on his game and plays smash mouth basketball. He is fast and drives toe the hoop with ease. He does not shy away from contact and is a pretty good 3 point shooter as well.
Hart featured in the Lakers' summer league and was the focal point of the Lakers' offense as he bagged the MVP award for his outstanding performances throughout. That has continued into the preseason games as he is now making a strong claim for that starting Shooting Guard (SG) spot in the Lakers line-up.
#4 Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Sviatoslav "Svi" Mykhailiuk is a rookie from Ukraine picked up by the Lakers in this year's draft. The Lakers believe that they have managed to acquire another top talent through the draft with the 47th pick in Svi.
Brandon Ingram showered praises on his rookie teammate, Svi saying that he would love to learn to shoot like the Ukrainian. Mykhailiuk played his college basketball with Kansas and was renowned for his shooting.
A spot up, dead eye shooter, he has a great release and when on fire, is hard to cool down. The Lakers lacked good shooters off the bench last season so it made sense to add a natural shooter to the roster. Svi will be an important role player for LA. He can add a spark off the bench with his deep range and ability to score points in a hurry.
He can be a great outlet for the pick & roll sets that Rondo, Lonzo, and James will like to run on occasions. LeBron James has thrived with good three-point shooters in the past and Svi can be that go-to option once he is settled and confident.
The only real challenge that the Kansas rookie will face is dealing with the pressure of the big stage. If he manages to handle the nerves then expect him to become a star very soon.
#5 Perfect combination of youth and experience
The Lakers have added an abundance of experience with multiple championship winners in LeBron James, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo. They have also added seasoned vets, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley which will only help the Lakers down the stretch in dealing with pressure and clutch situations.
The Lakers have the best young core in Ingram, Kuzma, Ball, Hart, and Svi. The also have re-signed the young Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who is a fantastic defender who will be vying for that starting SG spot. To add to these names, the Lakers have fine young role players yet to establish themselves namely, Travis Wear, Isaac Bonga, Joel Berry II, Johnathan Williams, and Ivica Zubac.
Out of these names, Travis Wear is the only player above 23 years of age. Wear was picked up from the G League and has been performing well for the Lakers so far.
#6 Great management
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach, Luke Walton, is still the youngest head coach in the NBA at 38 years old. He won 2 NBA Championships with the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, as a player.
Walton was the Assistant Coach for the Golden State Warriors before joining the Lakers as Head Coach. He led the Warriors to the best ever start by a team in NBA history. His dynamism and understanding of the game is unparalleled. Having a young coach will help the Lakers strike a chord between the players and the management.
Walton has played against the veterans he is now coaching. He has also seen the young core grow under his leadership. One would expect Coach Walton to find the right combinations to help the Lakers thrive.
With Magic Johnson, a Laker legend himself, as President of Basketball Operations, the Los Angeles Lakers have found the perfect person at the helm of the organisation to help the team grow and win championships again in the near future.
Rob Pelinka has done a fantastic job as GM for the team. Teaming up with Magic, the two have done their level best to bring ShowTime back to the Purple & Gold.
As we are on the verge of the new season, expect the Lakers to be more than just LeBron James. LeBron is sure to be the most pivotal piece to the Laker puzzle but the foundations have been laid for the team from Los Angeles.
The question that remains though is, how far will the Lakers go this season? Can they make the Playoffs once again?
Guess the Lakers players!
