By: Nathaniel Lastrapes
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to rebound from their worst season in franchise history. The nightmare of a season did not come without a few bright spots. Jordan Clarkson shined as a rookie, and the Lakers abysmal record landed them the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
— What will D’Angelo Russell make this season? Find out here! —
With the pick, the Lakers selected Ohio State point guard, D’Angelo Russell. Russell went through growing pains in his short Summer League stint in Las Vegas, but still managed to impress. According to Sirius XM NBA Radio, Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen was impressed with Russell’s ability to see the floor:
#Lakers Assistant Coach Mark Madsen says he was most impressed with @Dloading vision during summer league #Lakers
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 17, 2015
When a point guard makes the transition from college to the NBA, the biggest adjustment for them to make is the difference in speed of the professional athletes. The speed of the game changes drastically, so the point guard’s vision is crucial to becoming a relaxed and intelligent player.
The Lakers will go into the new season with reasonably low expectations as this is the beginning stages of the rebuilding process. The Lakers look to develop their young core of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Russell and hope to find an identity throughout the season.
Making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for this group as Kobe Bryant believes that the Lakers can exceed expectations. The Lakers will open their season at home on Wednesday, Oct. 28 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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