Power Ranking Los Angeles Lakers Players Heading into 2014-15 NBA Season
It is time for that annual rite of passage known as the Los Angeles Lakers power rankings—a qualitative judgment of the best and most powerful players on a roster stocked with aging stars, reclamation projects, drafts busts and unproven rookies.
The Lakers’ present-day story really isn’t all that bad, however. They are going through what all teams go through at some point—a rebuilding process made necessary by the passing of time.
Some teams never get it right, but Los Angeles has succeeded many times over and has the banners to show for it.
The power rankings reflect where players are at this moment as they head into the 2014-15 regular season but also take into consideration both future upside and ongoing decline.
The Back of the Pack
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Xavier Henry
A high-flying swingman, Xavier Henry has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Lakers. Unfortunately, he has a hard time remaining healthy.
The No. 12 draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, the Belgium native tore ligaments in his ankle his rookie season and has had multiple knee surgeries since then. Henry re-signed with the Lakers this summer after showing potential last season.
Henry has not, however, been able to fully participate during training camp while mending from offseason knee and wrist surgery. Back spasms have proved another recent setback.
Robert Sacre
Robert Sacre was the Lakers’ No. 60 pick in 2012 and has been a fairly pleasant surprise. The 7'0" center/power forward has a good work ethic and earned solid minutes off the bench last season.
The utility frontcourt player has averaged 18.5 minutes of burn for the second unit during the preseason, including 12 points and five rebounds against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 12.
He has his usefulness, but doesn’t crack the Lakers’ top 10 at this point.
Ryan Kelly
Ryan Kelly at least has some job security. Last year’s No. 48 pick was re-signed this summer to a fully guaranteed two-year contract.
The stretch 4 was coming off foot surgery and got a late start on his rookie season. Nonetheless, he averaged eight points per game in 59 appearances in Mike D’Antoni’s open-court system.
Kelly has been limited in camp due to a sore hamstring. The larger question is where he’ll fit into Byron Scott’s defensive-minded plans. The willowy sophomore doesn’t stand out as a power player.
Ronnie Price
Ronnie Price is a 6’2” journeyman guard who is entering his 10th year in the league. His best scoring average was 4.3 points per game with the Utah Jazz during the 2009-10 season.
Yet Price has some supporters on the team, including Kobe Bryant, who told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: "When he was in Utah, he gave us a lot of problems. He really turned a few games around for them."
During Sunday night’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, Price’s highlight was throwing his shoe at Andre Iguodala.
Wayne Ellington
Like Price, Wayne Ellington is fighting for a spot on the roster. At age 26, the 6’4” shooting guard is now with his fifth team in six seasons.
One thing that could turn in his favor, however, is the career-best 10.4 points a game he averaged in 38 games played after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2012-13 season.
His coach at the time? None other than Scott. Ellington is a system player who operates well off the ball. But with an unguaranteed contract, he first has to make the team.
10. Jordan Clarkson
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Rookie Jordan Clarkson has the potential to be more than the 10th player on the Lakers’ power rankings.
The team’s No. 46 draft pick in June, Clarkson plays with something to prove, saying after a recent practice, per Lakers.com, “From the draft, I got a chip on my shoulder. I’m just trying to prove people wrong.”
A 6’5” combo guard with speed, agility and great ball-handling skills, Clarkson was the team’s top scorer during the Las Vegas Summer League.
During his first preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, the rookie was a little wild with his shots, converting only three of 13 shot attempts in 27 minutes. He did, however, show a nice commitment on the defensive end, scrambling after loose balls and altering shots.
Unfortunately, he strained his left calf during L.A.’s second preseason game and will be out a minimum of a week.
Clarkson has a long way to go in his development, but he’s got length, talent, athleticism and that important chip on his shoulder.
9. Carlos Boozer
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There was a time when Carlos Boozer would have ranked a lot higher on a team’s power ranking chart.
Now entering his 13th season, however, the 32-year-old power forward is past his prime.
The Lakers picked Boozer up off amnesty waivers from the Chicago Bulls this summer, hoping to plug a frontcourt vacuum created when Pau Gasol left during free agency.
Gasol is now starting for the Bulls and has averaged 10.5 points and 8.2 rebounds through four preseason appearances.
His replacement for the Lakers has averaged 10.7 points in three preseason starts but only 3.7 boards per game. Why is this important? Because while Boozer’s defensive deficiencies are well-chronicled, his rebounding has always been a consistent strength.
It’s too early to really know what the season will hold for the two-time All-Star. But for now, his power ranking is plummeting in Los Angeles.
8. Ed Davis
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Ed Davis has only appeared in two preseason games for the Lakers but is already making an impression.
The 25-year-old center/power forward has been one of the team’s most active players, scoring, rebounding and altering shots at the rim.
As Darius Soriano for Forum Blue and Gold notes:
"Davis has been the Lakers’ best big man so far this preseason when factoring in play on both sides of the ball. He’s been quite effective and efficient on offense and has shown the best defensive instincts of any player (regardless of position). It would be nice if Davis could find some extended minutes (maybe at the expense of Boozer or Sacre) to see if he can keep it going when his workload increases.
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The 6’10” lefty reportedly turned down a $20 million contract extension last season from the Memphis Grizzlies. He wound up signing only a two-year, $2 million deal in L.A., but could wind up making a major contribution.
It would not be at all surprising to see him move up the team’s power rankings as the season progresses.
7. Wesley Johnson
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Wesley Johnson re-signed with the Lakers this summer and, at this point, seems to have a lock on the starting small forward position.
His new coach had high words of praise for him during the summer, telling Mike Trudell of Lakers.com: “I think the kid is so talented, I'm really hoping it can be a break out year for him. Now obviously, he has to come to camp and win that spot, and that's on him.”
Johnson also worked on his game throughout the summer with Kobe Bryant.
The only problem is that he hasn’t exactly been amazing during three preseason starts—averaging 5.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and one blocked shot per game.
The No. 4 draft pick in 2010 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Johnson has failed to live up to that potential ever since. Perhaps a perfect snapshot of blown opportunities occurred against the Warriors on Sunday, when a no-look pass from Steve Nash resulted in the 6’7” swingman flubbing a breakaway slam dunk.
Johnson may be a starter, but he only makes it to No. 7 on the Lakers’ power rankings.
6. Steve Nash
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By all rights, Steve Nash should rank higher than No. 6 on a fairly weak Lakers roster.
The plain truth is that he’s not the player he once was. Blame age and injuries—the two-time MVP will turn 41 in February and was only able to appear in 15 games last season due to lingering back and nerve root issues.
That said, he entered training camp in good shape, hoping to finish out the final season in his three-year contract on something resembling his own terms.
Nash looked pretty solid during the Lakers' first preseason appearance, but he sat out the second game and then asked out of Sunday night’s game against the Warriors after 12 minutes of play.
Per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, the veteran guard missed a second consecutive day of practice Tuesday due to sciatica issues, prompting Scott to muse: “Is it in our best interest to start Jeremy or Ronnie or do we wait day by day, game by game?”
It's only the preseason, but already health questions are surfacing.
5. Jeremy Lin
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Although Nash is the presumed starting point guard this season, a good argument could be made for why Jeremy Lin deserves that role.
He’s younger, healthier, faster and more athletic. And while his strengths are generally thought to be on the offensive end of the court, there's a new twist this season.
Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the mentoring role Bryant has taken with Lin, with the emphasis in an unexpected area of teaching, as Bryant stated:
"Jeremy's biggest challenge, which he loves, is that I'm really going to challenge him to be a great defensive player—because he can. He has the speed, he has the length, he has the size. He has never had to take on that challenge, but I think he can be a great defensive player.
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Much has been made about Linsanity and the burden that quick zenith of fame with the New York Knicks put upon such a young, untested player. Yet, entering his fifth season in the NBA, Lin still has room to grow at 26 years old.
At the moment, however, he's nursing a sprained ankle suffered during practice on Oct. 11.
4. Julius Randle
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There is a real possibility in the not-too-distant future that Julius Randle will be the top dog on the Lakers roster.
Just 19 years old, the power forward out of Kentucky was L.A.’s No. 7 draft pick this year.
It has been a long time since the team drafted that high, and the privilege came at a harsh cost—the worst win-loss record in franchise history.
Much will be expected of this left-handed low-post scorer and rebounder. The new Lakers head coach is already raising the bar.
After Randle scored 10 points and added eight rebounds off the bench in the team’s first preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relayed Scott’s critique: “The one thing I told him at the end is you've got to learn to play harder, longer but I think in spurts he was really fantastic on both ends of the floor but he has to do it on a consistent basis all the time."
Randle scored 12 points with seven rebounds and five assists in 18 minutes in his second outing, against the Warriors, prompting his coach to offer, per Arash Markazi for ESPN Los Angeles: "I thought he was lost, in the first half especially. I thought in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter he was better, but I thought in the first half the game was way too fast for him. ”
And so the journey begins for the rookie many hope will become the team’s cornerstone.
3. Jordan Hill
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The Lakers re-signed Jordan Hill to a two-year, $18 million contract over the summer, hoping he could assume the mantle of their top big man.
Never mind that the second year is a team option—it’s still a sizable payday for a 27-year-old who has averaged 16.4 minutes, primarily off the bench, during his five-year career.
But it’s what Hill brings to the game that the Lakers value—raw intensity, athleticism and a passion for rebounding and rim protection.
In other words, he’s exactly the type of interior player that Scott wants and needs. Although not that large for a center at 6’10” and 235 pounds, Hill plays with real aggression at both ends of the floor. Per Winters of Laker Nation, Scott said of Hill: "One thing about Jordan is he can make shots. The guy's got about 17–foot range and he can knock them down on a consistent basis."
So far in the preseason, Hill has averaged eight points and 7.3 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game. Those numbers are bound to go up. Hill’s per-36 stats included 16.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last season.
2. Nick Young
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Nick Young’s effervescent style was backed up by 18 points per game last season, leading all Lakers—and that was coming off the bench
Management subsequently rewarded “Swaggy P” with a four-year contract worth more than $21 million. The team has high expectations for a shooting guard/small forward who has never lacked for confidence.
At the beginning of training camp, as relayed by Bill Oram of the Los Angeles Register, Scott said: “I really believe Nick has a chance to be sixth man of the year. That’s just my vision of the way I think he can play in the system we have.”
And then Young went and tore his thumb while trying to steal a ball from Bryant during practice. Young had surgery on Oct. 6, with an expected recovery time of about eight weeks.
But Baxter Holmes for ESPN Los Angeles offers a more hopeful prognosis, writing: “Young, who sported a new red cast on his injured right thumb, said he’s expected to be evaluated again in two weeks and that he could return in mid-November if he’s able to get his cast off early.”
The Lakers need Young’s firepower if they’re going to make a run at the playoffs this season. With his long-term contract now in place, Swaggy’s power ranking is on the rise.
1. Kobe Bryant
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There was never any doubt that Kobe Bryant would hold down the top spot on the Lakers’ power rankings, was there?
The accolades have been repeated many times over—five NBA championships, a 16-time All-Star and possessor of 31,700 points, closing in on Michael Jordan’s 32,292 for third on the all-time points leaders.
At age 36, Bryant comes into this season after a disappointing and lengthy absence from the game due to an Achilles rupture followed by a broken knee. He played just six games during the 2013-14 season.
The reigning cornerstone of the Lakers franchise is older, wiser and a little slower as he begins his 19th season in the league. He’ll score more off fadeaway jumpers and post moves as opposed to the incendiary slam dunks of his prime. Yet there’s little doubt who the go-to Laker will be in crunch time.
Bryant is also more than just a player—the notoriously intense and impatient competitor has now become a mentor for younger teammates.
Arash Markazi for ESPN Los Angeles recently wrote about Bryant’s new role, quoting Scott:
"He’s been a mentor. He’s been a little bit of an assistant coach. I think he’s getting soft in his old age. But seriously, he’s been really good with all the guys, to be honest with you. He’s done a heck of a job of taking guys to the side and teaching them little things about the NBA. He’s done the same thing at practice. He’s been an extension of [the coaching staff].
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A mellow Mamba is not exactly what the basketball world is used to seeing. And make no mistake, despite his new teaching inclinations, opposing players will still be treated to an uncompromising opponent on the floor.
Bryant’s still the main man for the Lakers. It’s doubtful he’ll cede that power until he retires.
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