Predicting LA Lakers' Final 15-Man 2016-17 Roster
The Los Angeles Lakers head into their second week of the preseason with a 2-1 record, a new head coach in Luke Walton and a sizable group of fresh assistants, including associate head coach Brian Shaw. This promises to be a fun, free-flowing team with an energy and spirit that was lacking during the past two seasons under Byron Scott.
Shaw may not have actually invoked the name of Walton’s predecessor when discussing coaching philosophies with Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, but the contrast was evident nonetheless.
"There’s some coaches in the past that kind of beat you down," Shaw said. "Tear you apart and then they try to build you back up. [Walton] is not like that at all. He makes everybody feel comfortable, and you want to play for him. He’s a players’ coach, definitely."
But despite all the positivity and good vibrations, the coaching staff still has to make those hard choices—cutting the team down from 20 to 15.
It’s all part of shaping a roster for the 2016-17 regular season.
Point Guard
1 of 5
Starter: D’Angelo Russell
Not only will D’Angelo Russell be a starter this season, but he’ll also be a vocal leader of the team.
"This is the point guard! He's the leader!" Walton bellowed to his players recently, per Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding. "When he speaks, guys, you gotta listen."
What a difference a year makes. Russell started 48 out of 80 games as a rookie yet often found himself watching from the bench during the fourth quarter and other crucial junctures.
But that was under the rigid approach of Scott; Things are different with a new and friendlier sheriff in town.
"I feel like I know him, you know what I'm sayin'?" Russell explained to Ding. "I feel like I've known him for some years now—and I haven't."
It won’t all be smooth sailing. There will be stumbles and shooting slumps, and the kind of mistakes that are both natural and inevitable for a 20-year-old in his sophomore season. There will also be highlight-worthy successes as well.
Key Reserves: Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon
While Russell is clearly positioned for future stardom, two veterans of the international basketball community will battle it out for second billing: Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon are each gifted passers, and neither offers much on defense.
The Brazilian-born Huertas is a playmaking wizard with an excellent court awareness. Re-signed by L.A. over the summer, he’s already making an impression with the Lakers' new sideline leader.
"With Marcelo, it’s like we’re having another coach out there," Walton said, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "He’s constantly helping the other guys where he should be. He understands how to play basketball."
Calderon is new to L.A., arriving via an intriguing deal with the Chicago Bulls in which the final year of his salary was absorbed at $7.7 million. The Lakers also received two future second-round draft choices while only giving up the draft rights to obscure big man Ater Majok, last seen playing in China.
Calderon could be a useful midseason trade chip with his expiring contract. Then again, he’s averaged 6.5 assists per game over the course of his NBA career and shoots the lights out from beyond the arc at 41.2 percent. Those are handy qualities to have.
Cut: Julian Jacobs
Undrafted point guard Julian Jacobs was a starter at USC, but he likely won’t make the final cut.
Shooting Guard
2 of 5
Starter: Lou Williams or Jordan Clarkson?
So far in the preseason, Lou Williams has gotten the nod as starting shooting guard. The 6’1" combo guard was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2015 as a member of the Toronto Raptors. He also flourished in L.A. last season under Scott, starting 35 out of 67 games, playing substantial minutes regardless of his assignment in the rotation and averaging 15.3 points per game.
There’s little doubt he can score at will in a variety of ways, including finishing at the basket and collecting a foul in the process for an almost guaranteed and-1. He converted 83 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe last season.
But the veteran isn’t nearly as effective at the other end of the floor, and that needs addressing. Putting up points isn't so impressive when you're giving up even more.
Meanwhile, Clarkson is excelling off the bench after starting all 79 of his games last season.
"It’s cool as long as I’m on the court. I want to impact the game and be aggressive on offense," Clarkson said, per Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I’m going to score and get after it defensively. It’s the same thing for me."
Clarkson’s new head coach referred to a Laker from the past as an analogy, per Medina.
"If he continues to play that well, I don’t look at it as coming off the bench," Walton said. "Lamar [Odom] came off our bench, but he was really a starter. He played big minutes and played at the end of ball games."
All that said, don’t be surprised to see roles changed at any time, with Clarkson starting quarters and ending them.
Cuts: None
Small Forward
3 of 5
Small Forward: Luol Deng
The Lakers made a sizable commitment to Luol Deng this summer by signing him to a $72 million, four-year contract.
They’ll get veteran experience, scoring ability, defensive intensity and versatility—the 31-year-old plays both forward positions effectively.
This is also about finding the right balance on a mostly young team. Deng can plug right into the starting lineup, providing a strong and stabilizing presence. And, despite all the mileage, the two-time All-Star still has enough speed to flourish in open-court sets.
But there’s no guarantee he will remain the starter for this season or beyond, as there’s a rookie named Brandon Ingram waiting in the wings.
Key Reserve: Brandon Ingram
The Lakers’ No. 2 overall draft pick in June is destined to be a future star, but he has to learn the ropes of the NBA first.
Per Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers are taking the long view rather than placing undue expectations on a kid who just turned 19.
"We’re not going to throw him into the starting lineup right away," Walton said. "We're not going to play him 40 minutes a night. It’s going to be a gradual process."
That said, there are a lot of things that could turn the dynamic around quickly: Deng could get injured, with his recent knee bruise being an obvious example of how quickly circumstances can change. Or it could simply become a matter of which lineups work best together.
For now, Ingram is earning his stripes as a member of the bench mob, often playing alongside Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. That’s a high-energy unit with loads of mismatch potential against opposing lineups.
Additional Reserves: Nick Young and Anthony Brown
Nick Young was a freewheeling scorer three years ago under Mike D’Antoni, averaging an electrifying 17.9 points off the bench. That was followed by two seasons in the doghouse under Scott.
Few people expected Young to still be in a purple-and-gold uniform at this point. But he started in place of Deng Sunday night and played a surprisingly well-balanced 32 minutes, notching 14 points, four boards, two steals and an assist.
Might this be the rebirth of Swaggy P?
Meanwhile, Anthony Brown did not play Sunday. The Lakers had high hopes for the three-and-D wing when draftomg him No. 34 in the second round last year. So far, he has underperformed.
This could be a make-or-break season for the 24-year-old from Stanford, as we learn whether he can be an effective game-time player instead of a practice-time star.
Probable Cut: Metta World Peace
Now 36, Metta World Peace is a longtime Laker favorite. But the team would have to get rid of a guaranteed or partially guaranteed contract in order to keep him on the roster.
Power Forward
4 of 5
Power Forward: Julius Randle
There is a valid debate over who should be the starting power forward forthis season—Julius Randle or Nance Jr. But the candidates also complement each other, whether in tag-team fashion or together in small-ball lineups.
Randle has been working on improving his range as a shooter. But it’s his ability to handle the ball, run the floor and use brute strength in the paint that will be his main calling card this season. If he can learn to shift more effectively on defense, he’ll be even more valuable.
There’s also the idea of using the 6'9", 250-pound Randle in certain situations as an undersized center—something that wouldn’t be a stretch in a free-flowing open offense.
Randle sat out all but 14 minutes of his rookie campaign because of a broken leg and followed that with a double-double sophomore year. But now comes the real test: whether he can truly become a major force in the NBA.
Key Reserve: Larry Nance Jr.
Nance Jr. is known as a high-flying dunk machine. But he continues to grow his game, entering his second NBA season and showing a maturity that comes from four years at the University of Wyoming.
The 6’9” power forward is everywhere you look—disturbing passing lanes on defense, crashing the boards for offensive putbacks and stepping out for the occasional mid-range jumper. He even drilled a three-pointer in the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings.
Nance Jr. could be a starter in this league, but he also possesses the quintessential bench mob attitude: kicking up the intensity and serving as a motivator for teammates. He’ll be a key component as the Lakers seek to return to contention in the West.
Cuts: Zach Auguste, Thomas Robinson and Travis Wear
Zach Auguste has yet to log any preseason minutes but could still get an invite to join the D-Fenders. Thomas Robinson is a former No. 5 overall draft pick with tough defensive instincts but there just isn't room on the roster. Travis Wear hasn't shown much.
Center
5 of 5
Starting Center: Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Mozgov is a load at 7'1" and 275 pounds. He’ll be asked to use that size and strength to man the paint and defend the rim. The hope is that he’ll perform those tasks better than last season’s behemoth—Roy Hibbert (7'2", 270 lbs).
This shouldn’t be a problem. Despite his bulk and some past knee issues, the huge Russian has decent mobility and better natural balance than Hibbert. Mozgov is also a solid passer and can step out to shoot beyond mid-range.
The six-year journeyman has also never been a heavy-minutes guy—averaging 25.6 minutes at his peak load in 2014-15, 18.2 minutes over his career and 17.4 last season with the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s not likely that Mozgov will be asked to change that trajectory in a radical way.
The Lakers are deep at the center spot and have up-and-coming players who add other dimensions.
Key Reserve: Tarik Black
Tarik Black is likely to get more playing time than he did last season, when he averaged just 12.7 minutes in 39 appearances under Scott. Entering his third NBA campaign, the undrafted backup big has a new contract and a new coach—well, sort of.
Walton was an assistant coach for the University of Memphis during the 2011 NBA lockout when Black was on the team. Now the two have reunited.
Per Serena Winters of Lakers Nation, Walton has been complimentary of Black’s preseason efforts, saying: "He’s coachable, asks for advice, does what you tell him to do and is diligent about working."
Black is about flat-out hustle and athleticism, working hard at both ends and finishing strong at the basket off the pick-and-roll. He’ll get a better chance to show those attributes this season.
Additional Reserves: Yi Jianlian and Ivica Zubac
There’s a glut of size in the frontcourt, and it’s not yet clear how it will all play out.
Yi Jianlian was a surprise acquisition this summer—the former No. 6 overall draft pick for the Milwaukee Bucks had been out of the NBA since 2012 and playing pro ball in his native China. He also showed strongly for his country’s national team during the recent Rio Olympics, dropping 25 points on Team USA.
The 7'0" Yi has great length, he can put the ball on the floor and light it up from outside—the kind of stretch 5 who could be useful in Walton’s system. But he has struggled during the preseason and will have some competition from Ivica Zubac, the Lakers’ 19-year-old second-round prospect from Bosnia.
At 7’1” and 240 pounds, Zubac has a classic back-to-the-basket game but can also sink jumpers with a nice, feathery touch. The coaching staff will probably develop the kid slowly and carefully. But he played like a borderline lottery pick during NBA Summer League, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him pick minutes off Yi.
Cuts: None
