Mitch Kupchak says Lakers' new analytics team can 'measure up to anybody in the league'

The Los Angeles Lakers made a subtle but important announcement before training camp, detailing front office promotions, additions and changes in responsibilities. The takeaway was the franchise has set up a distinct basketball strategy team, which Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak believes can "measure up to anybody in the league," he told Sam Amick of USA Today Sports.

The changes center around Clay Moser shifting his focus to developing the analytics side of the Lakers basketball operations, with the additions of Yuju Lee and Aaron Danielson to the staff. Their roles and background were laid out clear in the team's official press release, which provided great access to the inner-workings of the front office.

This kind of transparency was an important factor for the Lakers, Kupchak told Amick. Reports indicated free agent LaMarcus Aldridge came away unimpressed by the Lakers' basketball operations portion of their pitch, and the follow-up has been swift from Los Angeles. Here's what Kupchak had to say about the new directive, and why they want fans to be informed, via Amick:

"I understand that (need to share more regarding their internal structure)," said Kupchak, who is entering his 16th season as general manager. "We're going to be judged on the product and whether we win or lose, but the last couple of years, we're not winning. And our goal is going to remain to win games. But we do have to, I feel, we have to show our fans that we're doing everything we can to get back to that spot. If that means sharing these inner workings of the organization moreso than we ever did, then we have to do that."

The sweeping overhaul in the front office, the exhaustive approach to the draft and training camp roster, and the information the team has made available to the public points to an sharp change in focus. It's the start of a process that will take time to sink its roots, but with a young group featuring Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell, the Lakers are working with time right now.

Getting the most out of that time is the new challenge for the Lakers, and these changes are a big step toward finding a way to do that. The full read via Sam Amick on USA Today is definitely worth checking out. For more background information on the new promotions and changes within the Lakers, you can read about it over here.