Lakers News: LeBron James' Season Expectations, Lonzo Ball's New Look and More
It's an exciting time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan.
The new-look Lake Show, starring LeBron James, made a big splash at the team's media day on Monday. The sight of the world's best player in a Laker uniform, flanked by the purple and gold's young core of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram, marks the team's initial push to a bold, new era that aims to return championship glory to a franchise that has finished atop the league 16 times.
The players are excited, ready to prove the Lakers can become a playoff or even championship contender in short order after several seasons in the league's cellar, even if it might take some time. Here's what we learned about the team on media day.
LeBron James Comments on Season Expectations
James, who has reached eight consecutive NBA finals, might have some Lakers zealots dreaming he can carry the team back to the promised land for the first time in his inaugural season (even the oddsmakers don't find that dream too outlandish). But the 33-year-old superstar knows this team has more work to do to take down the likes of the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
"They can pick up where they left off starting with training camp," James said, per USA Today's Josh Peter. "… We're picking up from scratch, so we have a long way to go.
"We can't worry about what Golden State is doing. Golden State is Golden State. They're the champions and they've been together for a few years now. We put that to the side. We can only focus on what we could do to get better every day as the Lakers franchise."
The Lakers core is young, hungry and talented, and the likes of Ball, Kuzma and Ingram are all capable of taking quantum leaps this year, but James is right: There is plenty to be fixed.
The defense will be a question mark to start the season. The Lakers struggled at that end of the floor, and while James helps, it's hard to see them becoming the kind of lockdown team that can corral the Warriors or Houston Rockets for an entire playoff series, let alone a single game.
Plus, the team added an eclectic mix of veterans that includes Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, Javale McGee and Michael Beasley. Only Stephenson is capable of being a stopper, and those players will all need time to gel.
James knows the team has much to improve, but there isn't a rush. He did sign a four-year contract after all.
Lonzo Ball Shows Improved Physique
Before James came to town, Ball was the one who had the biggest expectations on his shoulders in Los Angeles. The 2017 second overall pick showed glimmers of greatness during his rookie season, but he struggled to score and missed a large chunk of the season with a knee injury.
Apparently, Ball has spent plenty of time in the gym this offseason, not just rehabbing and working on his game, but bulking up as well.
His teammate and fellow rookie sensation Kuzma has noticed, per Lakers Nation's Matthew Moreno:
Coach Luke Walton attributed it to a relentless work ethic, per Moreno:
Ball had trouble getting to the rim at times last year, whether it was getting knocked off his rhythm going through the paint or getting stuffed at the basket. Adding muscle while maintaining or improving his explosiveness will make him a much more dangerous player, and could lead to more open jumpers this season.
Speaking of the jump shot, Ball credits the shot's new look to his work in the gym. He told ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk that his shot hasn't changed much in terms of it's mechanics, he just bulked up:
"Everybody is saying my jump shot [is] this new thing. To me, it is not really changed a lot. I just think I got a lot stronger. So I ain't got to really fling the ball like I did last year. [The set point] moved a little bit more to the middle but it is still on the left side. But just trying to focus on my mechanics, keeping my hand up, keeping my elbow in more and just me being stronger, my upper body, it's just easier for me to get to the rim."
Here's a glimpse of the unorthodox shot, per SLAM:
Ball shot just 36 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from three-point range last year. Any notable improvements in those category will pay huge dividends for the second-year pro, who is already a devastating passer and has chops on the defensive end as well.
Walton Talks Training Camp
The Lakers will start putting all of their hard work this offseason to the test on Tuesday when training camp begins. It's finally a chance for the players and coaches to start working together and building the foundation for the 2018-19 campaign.
Walton says he will figure out his team as camp progresses, but did indicate that he wants his squad to push the pace this year, per Lakers.com's Mike Trudell:
"We’re gonna play fast. Whether it’s the same speed, faster, slower (than last year)…we’ll get to know our team as training camp goes. But we’re going to play fast. We have a very deep team, a lot of guys that can push the ball. We want to attack. We think a big strength of ours this year will be our depth, the amount of guys we can throw at you. (If you) have that type of team it’s a big advantage to push it down and make other teams play more possessions, play at a faster pace. We’re going to continue to play that way.”
The Lakers should have vastly more depth this year than they have in Walton's previous two seasons helming the team. The 38-year-old head coach and former Laker has already shown an affinity for spreading around the minutes, but now there will be more talent on the floor while he's getting different guys on and off the court. Big things are expected from the new roster additions:
New talent to work with also means new rotations, which will be key to the Lakers' success this season as he tries to mesh the new veterans with the younger guys already with a year or two under their belts at Staples Center. According to Trudell, Walton will be tinkering with rotations, including "four different versions of small ball line-ups." Walton apparently has plenty of ideas on how to get kick this team into a higher gear.
Walton will face vastly higher expectations this year due to James' arrival and the budding young core of talent. The Lakers haven't made the playoffs in five years, and there will be no excuses if they miss out for a sixth. Thankfully, he has the kind of team that should give him no trouble getting there. What happens after that could be the really difficult part.
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