Since All-Star Weekend, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has given his young core an opportunity to start and play major minutes.
In response, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson have played extremely well and shown the rest of the league what they are capable of.
One All-Star who has taken notice is Sacramento Kings center, DeMarcus Cousins. Following the 106-98 victory against the Lakers at Staples Center, Cousins had high praise for the young core and believes it is a matter of time before they start clicking according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
DeMarcus Cousins: "The whole young (Lakers) core is very talented. D'Angelo is coming along, Jordan is coming along. It's just about time."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 16, 2016
DeMarcus Cousins: "It's a matter of time before it's clicking for all three of those guys (DA, JC, Randle). They're going to be a problem."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 16, 2016
During the off-season, there were rumors regarding the Lakers interested in trading for Cousins. However, the team ultimately decided to select Russell with their second overall pick and it will take a couple seasons before determining if they made the right move.
While there were concerns for the post-Kobe Bryant era, the Lakers have responded nicely with strong draft selections, especially with Clarkson (46th overall pick) and Larry Nance Jr. (27th overall pick). With a bright future ahead, it will be interesting if the franchise is able to keep their top-three protected pick and land free agents.