Los Angeles Lakers: Bold predictions for the 2018-19 season
With the off-season chaos behind us, the 2018-19 NBA season is upon us. The Warriors are the team to beat and the LeBron-less East might get very interesting, the Raptors and the Celtics looking like the two teams that may benefit.
But the talk of the summer has been the signing of LeBron James with the most glamorous franchise in the NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers. The dynamic young core already present in LA will greatly benefit from King James' leadership qualities. They have also added an experienced supporting cast to groom these talented group of players.
If the initial few games are any proof then we should just grab the popcorn and watch the most fun show in the league. The abundance of playmaking options has allowed the ball to be pushed up the court faster and the Lakers are playing some entertaining basketball.
Here are some bold predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2018-19 season.
#1 The Lakers' young core will prove to be a better supporting cast for LeBron than what he had in Cleveland
Ingram, Ball, Kuzma and Hart form one of the most tantalizing young core in the entire league. Josh Hart won the summer league MVP and Kuzma was quite easily the steal of last year's draft.
These are two players that already have a very polished game to contribute significantly to Lakers' ambitions this year. But the players with the most potential are the two #2 picks, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.
Brandon Ingram showed massive improvement in his sophomore year. His length and ability to make his own plays have often led to Kevin Durant comparisons. Lonzo Ball showed elite defensive potential in his rookie year but his shooting let him down.
He always has been an elite playmaker and that has transitioned well into NBA. If both these players improve their shooting, the potential for the Lakers this season goes right off the charts.