FanPost

Do the Lakers still have a "core"?


No, this isn't a woulda-coulda-shoulda post, more like a SOTF - State of the The Franchise piece. Looking at the current Lakers and combining it with their (stated and suggested) future plans, the answer is may well be "no".

The first question to answer is: "what constitutes a 'core'"? Merriem-Webster dictionary defines a "core" as:

  1. a central and often foundational part usually distinct from the enveloping part by a difference in nature
  2. a basic, essential, or enduring part (as of an individual, a class, or an entity)
It's a little different in a sports context, but the basic concept applies - do the Lakers have an "essential" or "foundational" group of players around whom they can build? Let's see:

Lonzo Ball - tasked with being the future of the franchise, Ball has had mixed results up to this point. Nevertheless, he finished with the second-highest weighted All Star score on the team. Granted, playing in a market like LA gives one a big advantage in the fan vote, but what's most interesting about Ball is the player vote - he got 10...the same as Chris Paul.

Kyle Kuzma - finished just behind ball in weighted All Star score (may even be a dead heat given that there are more frontcourt than backcourt players chosen). Led all Non-Lebron Lakers in the fan vote, but didn't fare as well as Ball among the players.

Brandon Ingram - probably the most versatile of any of the young Lakers, Ingram has also been the most frustrating for a lot of fans and observers alike, most of whom feel he is under-performing his draft position. He has been improving of late, but remains inconsistent.

Josh Hart - fell off after a hot start due to lingering knee issues. Once viewed as the 3-and-d SG the Lakers so desperately needed, he now has to be viewed as a question mark. Can he return to form or will his knee derail a promising career?


That's it. I don't think it's appropriate to include anybody else on this list just yet...at least not until they get some more consistent playing time.

But is it a "core" as defined above? No.

There may not be an All Star in the group and nobody is "un-tradeable" - and that's not just for a trade involving a top-5 player like AD, either. I think it's pretty clear that the Lakers would be willing to move any one of them for the right deal and Lakers' fans would be OK with it. It's hard to consider somebody "foundational" or "essential" when you're willing to swap them for another asset.


So where does that leave the Lakers? Right back where we were last offseason.....pinning our hopes on picking up an All Star and future-face-of-the-franchise this summer in Free Agency (or via trade). No need to change courses or blow things up just yet - they will face more competition for FAs this season, but another home-run solves a LOT of problems, and LBJ didn't even try to hide the fact that he was working overtime this weekend:
Lebron Ain


It's far from the end of the world, but also a far cry from having a stable of young horses and filling in the blanks. Let's just hope Lebron is a better recruiter than Kobe!