Young NBA teams have to be evaluated differently. The 10-17 Lakers have both struggled and succeeded. They've endured a five-game losing streak (snapped last week in a 107-104 win over the Sixers) and alternatively beaten potential playoff teams (Wizards, Pistons and Nuggets). The incredibly young roster that Luke Walton is tasked with developing has shown flashes of potential while also displaying the maddening tendencies of a team trying to find its way.
With all of that said, let's play a little "good news, bad news" based on how the Lakers have looked in the early season.
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Good News: Cool Kuzma, Improving Ingram
Kyle Kuzma: The 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft has arguably been the biggest surprise from the class (you could also point out Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell). Coming out of the University of Utah, scouts questioned whether his offensive game would translate to the NBA level. Turns out it translates just fine.
Kuzma has been the best player and No. 1 scorer for the Lakers despite only starting 11 of his first 26 games. He has averaged 16.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Kuzma looks comfortable shooting from the perimeter or attacking closeouts, and he's quickly developed a knack for knowing when to cut away from the ball.
He has quickly overshadowed No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball and become somewhat of a leader within the young Lakers core. LA got a steal late in the first round.
Brandon Ingram: A disappointing first season resulted in the expected talk of Ingram being an average player who is too thin to handle the rigors of a full regular season. After averaging 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 2016, the critics were out in full force. Ingram has surprised with a very strong start to his sophomore campaign, boosting those numbers to 16.2/5.6/3.1. He has become a more reliable threat as a scorer and playmaker, especially when it comes to using his length to his advantage.
Most importantly, Ingram has developed into the Lakers' go-to guy in crunch time. A young team that is still learning its way around the NBA has to have someone they can go to when needing a hoop late in the fourth, and Ingram has become that someone.
Ball getting others involved: The circus that his father (and now brothers) have created put an incredible amount of pressure on Ball coming out of college. He is in a no-win situation and will never be able to live up to the expectations that have been put on him due to his father's inability to stop talking.
But Ball really has enjoyed a productive start to his NBA career, averaging 9.1 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game. His ability to get others involved has been on full display, and his impact is felt even when he is not the primary assist man. While his shooting leaves much to be desired (more on that later), Lonzo has shown the flashes of brilliance we saw in his one year at UCLA.
Jordan Clarkson: Clarkson has been a major bright spot for the Lakers coming off the bench. He has provided an offensive spark in his reserve role, and this could end up being his best year as a pro, as he is nearly scoring 15 points a night on the highest true shooting percentage of his career (56.3). It's easy to forget this is only Clarkson's fourth year in the league. He should be part of the Lakers' future plans.
Luke Walton: The Lakers are not only a young team, but they are also run by a young coach in Walton. After a difficult first season as a head coach, Walton has done a great job of developing the young talent like Ingram, Clarkson and Julius Randle. Defensively is where Walton has had the biggest effect. After finishing last in defensive rating last season, Walton has his young Lakers team energized on that end and currently ninth in defensive rating (103.3).
MORE: Lakers vs. Knicks offers most fun sequence of early season
Bad News: Turnover troubles, Ball's shooting
Turnovers (many): As with all young teams, the Lakers have struggled mightily with protecting the basketball. They are the second-worst team in the league when it comes to turnovers with 17.1 per game. Opposing teams are averaging 19.3 points off turnovers with only the Knicks and Nuggets worse in that department. If the Lakers hope to improve on their record, the turnovers will have to be minimized.
Ball missing the mark: Lonzo’s shooting struggles have been a topic of much conversation in the early part of the season. He's currently at 33.2 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from 3-point line. Some may point at his Kevin Martin-like form, but it's more of a consistency issue with his balance and muscle memory.
The rhythm of Ball’s shot get disrupted by having his nose so far over his toes as he springs up to jump. His issue isn’t with the unorthodox release. It’s THIS👇👇👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/5cZZNZ6QX8
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) December 15, 2017
There are long-term ramifications for the Lakers when it comes to Ball’s shooting, and the organization should be at least slightly concerned. He is the first draft pick with Magic Johnson at the helm, and he is expected to be the Lakers' starting point guard for years to come. Lonzo must improve his shooting in order for this Lakers team to be successful. There's no way around it.
Free throws: The Lakers are a top-10 team in terms of free throw attempts per game. The problem? They are dead last in terms of free throw percentage (70.1), and they aren't very close to the teams ahead of them. Gotta take the freebies.
LaVar Ball: Let’s just leave this one right here...
The Lakers are weak in some areas as expected, but they've been surprisingly competent in others through their first 27 games. When it comes down to it, this is a below average team trying to develop an incredibly young roster.
The future of the franchise is in the development of guys like Ball, Kuzma and Ingram. There have been some positive signs, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. This season will continue to be a struggle as this young roster tries to find its way.