12. Los Angeles Lakers
X-Factor: Lavar… I mean Lonzo Ball
Magic Johnson took over as president of basketball operations in February of this year. His short tenure has seen massive changes to personnel, none more notable than the selection of LA’s favorite Lonzo Ball as the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
All signs point to Lonzo as the starting PG for the Lakers on day one. An unbelievable Summer League (16.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 9.3 APG) with two triple-doubles and sold out crowds fed the Lonzo-hype. Los Angeles got a nice pickup for Ball as backcourt partner in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. His defense should really help make up for Lonzo’s shortcomings on that end.
Brandon Ingram looked new and improved in his limited Summer League action. Look for Ingram to form a solid young tandem with the rookie PG this season. Julius Randle will once again get the bulk of the minutes at PF, and will enjoy his new teammate Brook Lopez in the low post.
Lopez has a track record of success in Brooklyn and will be a valuable addition to this Lakers squad this season.
The rest of the Lakers rotation includes Tyler Ennis, Jordan Clarkson, Loul Deng, Corey Brewer, Kyle Kuzma, and Larry Nance Jr.
The Los Angeles Lakers will get the same attention that an elite Western Conference team like the Warriors or Rockets will get this season. The Ball family is a unique story that everyone will need to hear about. LaVar never shies away from the spotlight, and with his son playing at the highest level in LA, expect 24-hour coverage of the Lakers, even if they don’t back it up with wins. This team is clearly improved from last season, but sorry LaVar, no playoffs for the Lakers this year.
Final Record: 32-50