Los Angeles Lakers: 2015 Projected Lineup

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The Los Angeles Lakers are a storied franchise. Throughout their history they have displayed some of the greatest players to ever play the game. As they look to transition into a new era they will need to develop their young talent. Could one of their young pieces turn into the next NBA all-time great? Let’s take a look at their most likely 2015 opening day starting lineup and find out.

Point Guard- Jordan Clarkson: Jordan Clarkson showed more potential last season than anyone thought he would as a second round pick, averaging 11.9 points per game. In the NBA Summer League this summer he showed that he is ready to take the next step towards NBA stardom. Many may argue that rookie D’Angelo Russell should start at the point, but as you will read, Clarkson fits better at the point. Atleast on day one. Russell may be the NBA’s next big thing, but the Lakers can’t forget about his supporting cast.

Shooting Guard- D’Angelo Russell: Russell absolutely must be in the starting lineup this season. However, in the NBA Summer League, Russell showed some issues with turnovers. In the shooting guard role he will be able to showcase his scoring ability while not being forced to distribute the ball. With Clarkson at point and Russell at shooting guard, it gives both of them flexibility to develop without exiting their comfort zone.

Russell will most likely move to point guard in the fute, but he must first get a better feel for the NBA. He may even move there part way through this season as Scott has expressed a desire for Russell to play there. He just must become accustomed to the NBA first. Kobe Bryant has played shooting guard for his entire career but he must move over to make room for the Lakers to develop their younger talent as they look to transition from generation to generation.

Small Forward- Kobe Bryant: Kobe needs to be in the starting lineup. He is a Lakers’ great and will start for that reason alone if need be. He is still owed over $20 million next season and the Lakers need to get some points out of him while they still can. Bryant has shown that he can still put up 15-20 points per game if need be. He will be slightly undersized as a small forward but considering head coach Byron Scott said that he may play a lot of power forward, this idea isn’t too outlandish.

Nick Young will most likely be Kobe’s primary backup. Young is better suited for a bench role. He is purely a scorer and not a very efficient one. He will be a perfect sixth man to come off of the bench when the Lakers need help with scoring.

Power Forward- Julius Randle: Randle is another piece who the Lakers will want to be a part of their future. He has potential to be an elite scorer in the NBA and giving him a chance to start from day one will help him reach that goal. Randle missed last season with a broken leg but he seemed to have regained his quickness and athleticism at the NBA Summer League. At the Summer League Randle also displayed some trouble scoring around the basket, but it’s a feeling process for him. The Lakers don’t have the tools to compete right away, so it makes no sense to sit Randle in place of someone else for the sake of winning now. Developing young assets is key for the Lakers.

Brandon Bass will come off the bench for the Lakers. Bass has starting experience and will serve as a great mentor for Randle. Bass is a great scorer in the mid range and will surely look to assist Randle in getting that nice touch on his jumper. Like I said though, considering the Lakers just can’t win now, developing Randle is more important than starting Bass.

Center- Roy Hibbert: The Lakers traded for Hibbert with the intent of starting him. The Lakers’ best option behind him is either Robert Sacre or Tarik Black, but neither is even close to Hibbert in terms of skill level. Up to this point, the Lakers’ lineup has lacked defense. Hibbert will be used at the rim to make sure any players who blow by the Lakers poor perimeter defense are met by a monstrous block. With Randle handling the scoring duties in the low post, Hibbert can be left to do what he does best which is defend.

Tarik Black will most likely earn the primary backup job. Sacre has been nothing more than mediocre as a bench player in his NBA career and Black showed some potential in the NBA Summer League. Black is a hustle player that will be a perfect catalyst for the Lakers’ bench unit should they become lethargic.