Julius Randle
To put it simply, this kid is a bully. If you met him on the playground he would take your lunch money. And if you got the courage to tell a teacher they wouldn't help you because they'd be scared of him too. That's not to say he isn't a good guy because he definitely is...but this guy is like a built like an ox. When you watch him drive to the rim you just see defenders bouncing off of him in every direction. It's like watching bumper cars. To give you an example there was one play in Summer League where a defender tried to stop a Randle drive. He got caught with an elbow and needed 3 stitches on his forehead. And the foul was called on him! LOL. Randle is that good.
Here's some highlight clips of his play against the 76ers:
Obviously he's still a rookie so there will be much for him to learn, and there are a few things he needs to work on a lot. However, he is oozing potential right now and Laker fans should be excited! Here are the top three skills he demonstrated in SL, and the top three things he needs to improve.
Skills:
Adept at getting to the basket due to ball handling and quickness
Has the ability to finish through contact and draw fouls
Has excellent court vision and makes good passes
Areas for Improvement:
Conditioning is not where it should be thanks to being 3 months removed from the college season
Only attempted 2 jump shots in summer league and missed both, will need one to continue offensive success in the NBA
Set very poor screens which never provided opportunity for anything in pick and roll situations
Jordan Clarkson
The Lakers spent $1.7M to buy this pick from the Washington Wizards. Right now that is looking like money well spent. Clarkson is a 6'5" guard who can play the point guard and shooting guard roles. He's been the Lakers' highest scorer in summer league. He averaged 15.8 pts, 5 reb, and 1.2ast. Like Randle he plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a knack for getting to the basket. He surprised the Lakers with just how good his shooting has been. Clarkson even had a game winning tip in vs. the Warriors. He was projected to go in the first round of the draft but somehow fell to the mid second round where the Lakers got him. Good pick by Mitch and Co.
Here's some highlights from his best summer league game:
Here are the top three skills he demonstrated in SL, and the top three things he needs to improve.
Skills:
Fearless attacking the basket and effective once he gets there
Has the ability to knock down open shots off the pass or dribble
Seems to be a leader orchestrating the offense
Areas for Improvement:
Could improve his ball handling
Defensive intensity could improve
Distributing the ball on offense
Roster Update
The Lakers have signed several more players making their roster all but complete for the start of the 2014-2015 season. GM Mitch Kupchak was quoted as saying the roster would be at 13 players. He could change his mind but that is where the current count stands.
Without a head coach or a system in place it is difficult to predict what the Lakers depth chart will look like. Here's how I would place it.
PG: Lin, Nash, Clarkson
SG: Bryant, Young
SF: Johnson, Henry
PF: Randle, Boozer, Kelly
C: Davis, Hill, Sacre
It should be noted that some players can play multiple positions. Bryant, Young, and Henry can all play SG/SF. Clarkson can play PG/SG. Kelly can play SF/PF. Davis and Hill can play PF/C. So the Lakers have some flexibility in their lineups. It will be up to the coach to put them in the best position to succeed.
This roster doesn't scream championship contender (not enough interior D or shooting on paper), but I think it is an entertaining squad that can make the playoffs. It should be a far better team than last year. There are several shot creators who will make it interesting on offense. Lin, Bryant, Nash, Young, and Randle can make plays. That is plenty to make sure the offense doesn't get stagnant. The Lakers also have a good mix of pick and roll and post players which gives even more options on offense.
The major concern here will be defense. There is only 1 shot blocker on the roster (Davis) and 1 player known as a "defender" (Johnson) who was inconsistent last year. The Lakers will have to play consistent team defense if they want to make the playoffs. That means they will have to communicate and work well as a unit on that end of the floor since they don't have a Serge Ibaka type player who can erase the mistakes of others.
All in all it should be a fun team to watch and I can't wait until training camp. I'll bring more articles as things develop :) ... GO LAKERS!!!
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