After finding themselves in the lottery in each of the last two seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers believe they have come out with two future All-Stars in D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.
Each player has had moments this season in which they have looked like they could fulfill their vast potential and Lakers fans everywhere are extremely excited about their future.
Some executives from around the NBA agree on one end, but are slightly unsure about the other. According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, a group of polled executives see Russell as a potential star, but believe Randle is not on that level:
Among about a dozen rival executives informally polled about the Lakers’ building blocks of Russell and Randle, a consensus emerged: Russell is a potential star, while Randle is viewed as “a piece” or “an energy guy.”
Even though Russell is seemingly viewed as having more potential, many of the executives do realize that both players are extremely young and the Lakers probably won’t know how good they will be until next season:
Several executives inserted the caveat that they’re barely old enough to vote and don’t even have a full season on their resumes yet. “They should know by the end of next season,” one of them said.
Some may question how good Randle can ultimately become, but that will only motivate him even more. Randle is one of the hardest workers on the team and is constantly in the gym trying to improve. Even if his potential isn’t as high, his work ethic will surely allow him to reach his peak.
If both Randle and Russell can reach their potential, along with Jordan Clarkson who wasn’t brought up in this poll, the Lakers will have a great core to build around and should begin climbing back up the standings soon.
