Well that was a depressing season, to say the least.
If you’re a Lakers fan, usually around this time of year you’re gearing up for the playoffs to begin.
You remember the feeling, right?
Lakers flags are perched on top of cars and SUVs, flapping away through the wind while cruising down the congested L.A. freeways.
Spring is finally here, and the sun is shining bright on a variety of purple and gold jerseys, basketball shorts, and hats.
You and your friends are congregating at a sports bar or someone’s home — talking trash to the one guy who’s donning an opposing team’s jersey.
And everyone’s anticipating a parade down Figueroa in June when it’s all said and done.
None of that this year, however. None of that for the past few years, actually.
It certainly feels like like an eternity, doesn’t it?
As fans, we could point the blame in a number of areas (Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak, David Stern, the new CBA, etc.), but the reality of the situation is that these things happen to every team. Usually they don’t happen to the Lakers quite this often or for this long, but I chalk a big portion of the downfall up to injuries and bad luck, along with the cyclical nature of the NBA.
Nonetheless, after coming off a season in which the Lakers notched 61 losses, there literally is nowhere to go but up (hopefully).
Essentially, it’s going to take a while for the Lakers to get back to the promise land, as the team is currently in a complete rebuilding phase.
In the meantime, throughout this process, there’s certainly a lot of upside and some things to look forward to that could impact how the team eventually performs in the long run.
BEGIN SLIDESHOW: Five Things For Lakers Fans To Look Forward To In The 2015 Off-Season
NBA Draft Lottery
The first thing to look forward to is the draft lottery, which takes place on May 19.
With the Lakers finishing the season with the fourth-worst record in the league, they will have an 82.8 percent chance of acquiring a top-five draft pick in the lottery, per Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times:
BTW – official now – Lakers 4th in lottery – win/lose/immaterial – 4th it is – 82.8% odds of staying in top-5
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) April 12, 2015
A top-five pick is necessary for the Lakers to retain the pick they traded away to the Phoenix Suns in 2013 (which has subsequently landed in Philadelphia’s lap). Additionally, the Lakers have a 37.8 percent chance of acquiring a top-three pick, and an 11.9 percent chance at the top overall pick, via Tankathon.com.
Much like last year, the draft lottery will be a huge moment for the Lakers organization, and will be an exciting time for fans who are heavily invested in the Lakers’ future.
This brings us to the next reason to be excited.
CONTINUE SLIDESHOW: Five Things For Lakers Fans To Look Forward To In The 2015 Off-Season
NBA Draft
Obviously, the Lakers’ involvement in the draft depends on the first bullet point here, as they need to maintain their pick in order to select a top player in the draft.
Assuming they get that pick, there’s a number of players in the draft who are very promising. Players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Mario Hezonja, and D’Angelo Russell are all in the conversation when it comes to top draft prospects.
The draft has been a huge topic amongst Lakers fans, and the event will be extremely crucial to the future of the franchise.
Looking past the lottery and subsequent draft (which takes place on June 25), there is another key date to look forward to.
CONTINUE SLIDESHOW: Five Things For Lakers Fans To Look Forward To In The 2015 Off-Season
NBA Free Agency
Free agency begins on July 1, and there are a number of options for the Lakers to pursue.
Despite Kobe Bryant’s large contract, the Lakers still have a lot of money to spend on free agents this summer.
Players such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Greg Monroe, and Rajon Rondo are all unrestricted free agents this upcoming off-season.
When it comes to restricted free agents, you’ve got the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Knight.
On top of that, LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Goran Dragic, among others, all have player options and can opt out of their respective contracts.
There’s certainly a variety of options out there, but the real question will be whether or not it makes sense for those players to leave their current situation(s) and join a team in the process of a rebuilding phase.
The Lakers will hopefully have more luck in this particular area of structuring their franchise than they’ve had over the last couple of years, and will certainly roll out the purple and gold carpet once again in an effort to attract some big names.
The next reason to look forward is an asset the Lakers already have.
CONTINUE SLIDESHOW: Five Things For Lakers Fans To Look Forward To In The 2015 Off-Season
4. Julius Randle’s Return
The Lakers had high hopes for Julius Randle coming into the 2014-2015 season.
He was the seventh overall selection in the 2014 draft, and was arguably undervalued at that pick. He impressed many during the Summer League, and showed promise during the preseason.
However, in the very first game of the season, Randle went down with a season-ending injury.
Randle has looked solid in his rehab, though, and is apparently nearing a return to participating in full-contact drills, according to Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters.
We’ll all be eager to see how Randle’s mental grasp of the game has grown, and how he physically holds up.
The final reason for Lakers fans to be excited is a young player who’s somewhat proven himself, at least at the very early stage of his career.
CONTINUE SLIDESHOW: Five Things For Lakers Fans To Look Forward To In The 2015 Off-Season
5. Jordan Clarkson’s Development
Unlike Randle, not much was expected from Jordan Clarkson — a 6’5″ guard selected at 46th overall — coming into the season.
He’s certainly shown promise and given Lakers fans hope going forward.
After becoming a starter in late January, Clarkson averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Over a span of 20 games to finish off the season, however, Clarkson averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds.
Those kinds of numbers and that kind of progress in a short span of time are certainly promising.
It will be very interesting to see if Clarkson is able to expand his game even more over the summer, and we’ll all be curious to see what he’s capable of in his sophomore season as a Laker.
A culmination of all five of these instances could drastically shape the Lakers’ future.
While the past few seasons have been absolutely dismal, there are certainly things to look forward to over the course of the next few months that could impact how the franchise fares in the long run — things Lakers fans should be pretty excited about.
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