The Los Angeles Lakers are currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, but things are beginning to look much brighter in Southern California. Even though the team won’t be making the playoffs this season, the franchise is seeing their young players developing into stars.
D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are the cornerstones of the rebuilding process and the Lakers are hoping they can bring success back to the franchise. The three young stars did not get a lot of playing time earlier in the season, but they have gotten increased minutes and it is paying off big time.
In the team’s Tuesday night win over the Orlando Magic, Russell, Clarkson and Randle each had at least 23 points. After the victory, Russell spoke to the media and talked about the progression the young core has made, via Bob Garcia of Sports Out West:
D'Angelo Russell on team's youth developing: "People keep saying over and over, and we continue to keep proving it." #Lakers
— Bob Garcia IV (@bgarciaivsports) March 9, 2016
The Lakers have the pieces in place for the future and the post-Kobe Bryant era. At first, there was some skepticism as to if the Lakers can remain relevant once Bryant retired, but those doubts have been put to rest.
Russell, Clarkson and Randle have been some of the most impressive young players in the league and will only continue to develop. There is a lot of pressure on those three to carry the torch after Bryant, but it seems as though they are all willing to take on that responsibility.
This season, Russell has averaged 19.4 points and 4.6 assists per game since the All-Star break. As for Randle, he has been putting up 11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds throughout the whole season, while Clarkson has given the Lakers 15.9 points on a nightly basis.