With a nice blend of veterans and prospects, the challenge for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015-16 season is attempting to accelerate the rebuilding process. Through four games in the preseason, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson have shown plenty of promise.
Following their first preseason win against Maccabi Haifa at Staples Center, Kobe Bryant was encouraged by the team’s performance during the preseason via LakersNation.com’s Ryan Ward:
Kobe Bryant on young core: “They are far ahead of the curve. They’re all great creators & attack players but they can also shoot the ball.”
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 12, 2015
Kobe Bryant on D’Angelo, Clarkson & Randle: “I couldn’t be more pleased with the way they’ve been developing.”
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 12, 2015
While the Lakers have established a young core for the post-Kobe era, two of them are essentially rookies and will experience highs and lows during the regular season. Although many are counting the Lakers out of the playoffs in the Western Conference, how quickly this team can come together will help them be in contention this season.
Heading into the new season, all the attention is on how the young core develops and if Kobe can remain relatively healthy for an entire season. With the season opener not until Oct. 28 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers will have an opportunity to build their team chemistry.
