How will D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram and the Los Angeles Lakers do in 2016-17?
Here are our player scouting reports and analysis.
Projected starters
D'Angelo Russell
Position: Guard
Experience: 1 year
Age: 20
Scouting report
+ Talented pick-and-roll point guard shackled as a rookie
+ Potential as a shooter sets up drive-and-dish game
+ Lackadaisical defender who must improve effort
Analysis
For the No. 2 overall pick, Russell endured a bumpy rookie season, frequently butting heads with old-school head coach Byron Scott and coming off the bench for much of December and January after a slow start. Ultimately, Russell's debut was pretty good for a one-and-done point guard. He became the seventh player to average at least 16 points and four assists per 36 minutes in a season started at age 19 (Russell turned 20 late in February). Of the others, only Lamar Odom never developed into an All-Star.
The arrival of Luke Walton as Scott's replacement should be great news for Russell, who will have more freedom to play his pick-and-roll game. While Russell wasn't efficient in the pick-and-roll as a rookie, his ability to shoot pull-up jumpers off the dribble with 3-point range forces defenses to play him honestly, setting him up to turn the corner. He made strides over the course of his rookie season in finishing with his right hand and showed a good in-between game, making 46.0 percent of his attempts between three and 10 feet, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
In fairness to Scott, Russell's pick-and-roll opportunities were also limited by a lack of credible roll men on the roster. As a result, Russell mostly looked to score, though he has the court vision to make value-added passes when he's thinking like a playmaker. Russell's passing is also a weapon when he draws double-teams posting up smaller defenders, which otherwise allows him to shoot turnaround jumpers.
Russell's defense has been something of a disappointment. He has the size to give smaller point guards trouble but has difficulty keeping them in front of him. Russell might shade opponents too much to one direction or another, allowing them to beat him the other way. And even during an impressive performance at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, he got torched by T.J. McConnell of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jordan Clarkson
Position: Guard
Experience: 2 years
Age: 24
Scouting report
+ Combo guard pushed off the ball by Russell's arrival
+ True jump shooter who made strides during second season
+ Willing to compete defensively but needs more discipline
Analysis
After a promising rookie season as a point guard, Clarkson moved mostly off the ball last season to accommodate Russell. The Lakers' offseason moves suggest they see Clarkson (who agreed to a new four-year, $50 million deal as a restricted free agent) as their shooting guard of the future.
Starting after the All-Star break, Clarkson worked to develop his 3-point shooting and in particular his shot selection. He took two more 3-pointers in 26 games after the break than 53 games beforehand, and his ratio of 3s to 2-point shots outside the paint -- slightly below one previously -- increased to three to one. While the change didn't yield great results (Clarkson's true shooting percentage actually dropped from .520 to .507, in part because he got to the free throw line less frequently), Clarkson shooting more 3s at a near-average rate (34.7 percent) will help space the floor. He also provides the Lakers a second pick-and-roll ball handler in that role, which gives Walton more offensive options.
The next area for improvement is defense. Clarkson came in with a good defensive reputation but has yet to live up to it, perhaps because the Lakers have been so bad defensively as a team. Walton's arrival and the addition of veteran starters should help everyone. At 6-foot-5 with a solid 6-foot-8 wingspan, Clarkson is big enough to defend either guard spot.
Luol Deng
Position: Forward
Experience: 12 years
Age: 31
Scouting report
+ Veteran combo forward returning to wing after thriving at PF
+ Average shooting and quickness for a small forward
+ Savvy, hard-working defender who can guard bigger players
Analysis
Deng was averaging career lows of 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game at the All-Star break, when Miami Heat teammate Chris Bosh was sidelined by a blood clot in his leg. That moved Deng from small forward to power forward, where he and the Heat thrived the rest of the season. Deng increased both his usage and his efficiency while Miami was better without Bosh, coming within a game of the Eastern Conference finals. Deng cashed in on his last big contract at age 31, getting $72 million over four years from the Lakers, who presumably plan to start him at small forward.
As a wing, Deng is at best an average shooter (he made 34.4 percent of his 3s last season, slightly better than his career 33.4 percent mark) and has just average quickness after years of logging heavy minutes with the Chicago Bulls. Moving him to power forward turned both attributes into strengths, as Deng was able to beat slower defenders off the dribble and get to the basket regularly. At small forward, Deng is able to post up smaller defenders using a turnaround, but it's a major net negative offensively.
Adding Deng should be a huge boost to the Lakers' perimeter defense. If not the ace defender he was in his prime, Deng is still a solid one-on-one option who can also execute the team scheme. He immediately becomes the Lakers' best perimeter defender by a wide margin, and they're presumably counting on his professionalism helping rub off on younger (and more defensively indifferent) teammates.
Julius Randle
Position: Forward
Experience: 2 years
Age: 21
Scouting report
+ Southpaw power forward coming off first real NBA season
+ Predictable driver who likes to use spin moves and finish with left hand
+ Terrific defensive rebounder; less effective providing help
Analysis
Having suffered a fractured tibia in his first NBA game that ended his season, Randle was effectively a rookie in what was officially Year 2. Like Russell, Randle briefly lost his starting job in December and showed plenty of room for improvement at age 21 but also the potential that made him a top-10 pick.
Unusually for a big man, Randle almost always creates his own shot. Just 45.8 percent of his field goals were assisted last season per Basketball-Reference.com, the second-lowest mark for a power forward or center who made at least 100 shots. Typically, those come in isolations or post-ups where Randle faces up and tries to use his quickness to drive by defenders. Randle can get to the paint, but because he's a bit predictable -- he loves to use a spin move and has to come back to his left hand to finish whether he goes left or right -- Randle shot just 56.8 percent inside three feet and a dismal 43.6 percent overall on 2-pointers. To be efficient playing this style, Randle will have to dramatically improve his finishing.
There are other areas for improvement, too. Randle shows unusual court vision for a power forward and the ballhandling ability to grab and go after a defensive rebound, but could do a better job passing out of the paint when he has drawn help defense. And while Randle showed good touch from the free throw line (71.5 percent), he hit just 22.9 percent of his 2-point attempts outside the paint using a bit of a sidewinding set shot, per NBA.com/Stats.
Randle's best attribute last season was his defensive rebounding. Only three regular players, all of them centers, pulled down a higher percentage of defensive boards than Randle's 32.0 percent. Still, that overstates Randle's defensive value. He doesn't have the instincts to be in position to help, and does little to contest shots (his relatively short arms are a problem) even when he's in the right spot.
Timofey Mozgov
Position: Center
Experience: 6 years
Age: 30
Scouting report
+ True 7-footer who was slowed last season after knee surgery
+ Polished pick-and-roll player who can finish powerfully
+ Fine shot blocker who struggles when pulled away from basket
Analysis
Mozgov's free agency seemed poorly timed after he followed up his key role in helping the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals with a subpar contract year. Limited athletically after offseason knee surgery to remove a cyst, Mozgov fell out of Cleveland's rotations during most of last season's playoffs before hitting the market. Nonetheless, he got a lavish four-year, $64 million offer from the Lakers, who are hoping Mozgov can regain his pre-injury form despite already being past his prime at age 30.
Setting aside the price, Mozgov does fit the Lakers' needs. That starts with his pick-and-roll ability, which he actually has showcased more playing for his native Russia than in the NBA. Mozgov can't really roll hard or finish lobs, but he catches the ball well on the move and can finish with dunks. His 66.1 percent shooting as a roll man (aided by running pick-and-rolls with LeBron James, surely) ranked ninth among players with at least 50 such shot attempts, per Synergy Sports tracking on NBA.com/Stats.
At the other end, the 7-foot-1 Mozgov could be the rim protector the Lakers badly need behind their defense-challenged guards. His size is a deterrent in the paint, and even last season Mozgov forced opponents to shoot a lower percentage inside five feet (48.5 percent) than predecessor Roy Hibbert (50.6 percent), per SportVU tracking on NBA.com/Stats. Like Hibbert, however, Mozgov struggles when asked to step outside the paint to defend stretch big men or pick-and-rolls, a problem that was exacerbated after his knee surgery. Despite the rim protection, Mozgov ranked among the NBA's bottom 10 centers in defensive rating from ESPN's real plus-minus. If Mozgov can't regain his quickness, his contract could be a huge overpay. And even if Mozgov does help now, he's unlikely to remain an effective starter in the final season of the deal at age 33.
Reserves
Louis Williams
Position: Guard
Experience: 11 years
Age: 29
Scouting report
+ Former Sixth Man Award winner who supplies scoring off the bench
+ Effective at creating shots for himself but not for teammates
+ Undersized shooting guard who benefits from cross-matching on D
Analysis
The Lakers got a good deal last summer signing Williams for $21 million over three years coming off winning the Sixth Man Award. However, he proved a questionable fit with the Lakers' young guards and is a likely trade candidate if they can get value in return.
Though Williams started 35 games last season as the veteran alternative to Russell, he's ideally cast offering instant offense off the bench. (Last season was only the second of Williams' career in which he has started more than 10 games.) For such a player, Williams is a relatively efficient scorer, and he actually posted a career-best .584 true shooting percentage with the Lakers in large part because he drew a career-high 6.3 free throw attempts per game, many of them on jumpers. But the Lakers didn't have huge need for his shot creation with Kobe Bryant already using a huge share of the offense and either Clarkson or Russell on the court at most times.
Bringing Williams off the bench also makes sense because it minimizes his defensive limitations. At 6-foot-1, Williams is tiny for a shooting guard, but he lacks the playmaking instincts to play point guard. The Lakers can crossmatch and put bigger point guards like Clarkson, Russell and Jose Calderon on shooting guards, but Williams is still a defensive minus against players his own size. His minus-3.0 defensive RPM ranked among the league's bottom 20 players.
Brandon Ingram
Position: Forward
Experience: Rookie
Age: 19
Scouting report
+ No. 2 overall pick who boasts rare combination of length and shooting
+ Can create his own shot off the dribble and shows playmaking flashes
+ Has major defensive potential thanks to frame but must add strength
Analysis
During his lone season at Duke, Ingram forced his way into a debate over the No. 1 overall pick by virtue of averaging 17.3 points per game and shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range. While the Philadelphia 76ers ultimately settled on LSU forward Ben Simmons at No. 1, the Lakers didn't view Ingram as a consolation prize. Having signed Deng as a free agent, the Lakers can bring the skinny 19-year-old -- the league's second-youngest player -- along slowly.
Like Deng, Ingram thrived after moving to power forward after an injury to Duke big man Amile Jefferson. His 3-point shooting opened the floor from the position and gives him a high floor offensively in the NBA. To become a star, Ingram must continue improving his shot creation. He could get by NCAA defenders with a quick first step but must tighten his handle to beat NBA opponents. During the NBA summer league, Ingram did flash a little more playmaking ability than he showed at Duke, which will serve him well as he grows into a primary offensive option.
Ingram's long arms are the first trait that captured scouts' attention. While he didn't participate in the pre-draft combine, Ingram's wingspan was measured at 7-foot-3 at the Nike Hoop Summit. He can swallow up opponents but could do more to utilize his wingspan in the passing lanes. Ingram will block shots either from the weak side or on the perimeter. The next step is adding strength without sacrificing quickness to better deal with physical NBA opponents, and possibly eventually allow Ingram to play some as a stretch 4.
Larry Nance Jr.
Position: Forward
Experience: 1 year
Age: 23
Scouting report
+ High-leaping, energetic big man; fan favorite
+ Credible pick-and-roll option looking to extend range
+ Not really a shot-blocker but active defensively
Analysis
On a low-energy team, Nance's activity stood out last season. The son of the former NBA Slam Dunk champion, Nance played above the rim and fired up the crowd with his highlight-reel dunks and blocked shots. That has been even more true during Nance's two summer appearances in Las Vegas, where he has drawn "Larry!" chants from the Thomas & Mack Center crowd.
Nance also stood out last season as the one Lakers big man with any pick-and-roll ability. He can go up to finish lobs and also has the ability to pick-and-pop with accurate midrange shooting. Nance shot a decent 40.3 percent on 2-point attempts from beyond 16 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com. He made only one 3-pointer in 10 attempts as a rookie but showed newfound range this summer, making two 3s before a sprained wrist ended his summer league after four games.
With fellow youngster Randle also at power forward, Scott tried Nance at a variety of positions to get him on the court. Nance played center at times next to Randle and also got minutes at small forward, but defensively he's a power forward all the way. Despite the ability to get up, Nance isn't a consistent enough shot-blocker to protect the rim, and his quickness goes from a strength to a weakness when asked to defend wings. However, he held his own defending guards after switches and moves his feet well against the pick-and-roll.
Jose Calderon
Position: Guard
Experience: 11 years
Age: 34
Scouting report
+ Aging point guard who's at a nightly athletic disadvantage
+ Great shooter with his feet set; rarely penetrates anymore
+ Has a difficult time keeping opponents in front of him
Analysis
Entering the last season of a four-year, $29 million deal originally signed with the Dallas Mavericks, Calderon found himself part of two of the summer's biggest moves. The New York Knicks dealt him as part of their package for Derrick Rose, and the Chicago Bulls subsequently gave the Lakers two future second-round picks to take Calderon's salary to clear room for Dwyane Wade. Calderon, who turns 35 in late September, gives the Lakers a veteran presence but might not help much on the court.
One of the league's better playmakers in his prime, Calderon averaged a career-low 5.3 assists per 36 minutes last season. It's not that Calderon forgot how to pass; he's no longer capable of drawing the defense to set plays up, so now his court vision is only useful finding cutters from the top of the key. Though he rarely gets to the basket -- just 9.9 percent of his shot attempts came within three feet, per Basketball-Reference.com -- Calderon is still an efficient scorer by virtue of his 3-point shooting. He made 41.4 percent of his triples last season, right in line with his career mark.
The bigger downside of Calderon's lost quickness is on defense, where he can't guard anyone at point guard anymore. When he plays with Williams, the Lakers will probably crossmatch defensively. Calderon at least has decent size at 6-foot-3, though he's not a particularly physical player either. His defensive shortcomings were surely a factor in Calderon's spending most of this summer's Olympics on the bench for Spain.
Yi Jianlian
Position: Forward
Experience: 5 years
Age: 28
Scouting report
+ Former lottery pick returning to NBA after a four-year absence
+ Nominal stretch big man, though NBA 3-point range questionable
+ Has bulked up to bang in the post but not really a shot-blocker
Analysis
After averaging 20.4 points for China in the Olympics, third among all scorers, Yi agreed to an unusual one-year contract with the Lakers that guarantees him just $250,000 of the $8 million he could make, per Eric Pincus of BasketballInsiders.com. The bulk of Yi's compensation comes in the form of three bonuses worth $2.3 million that trigger at 20, 40 and 59 games played. The structure of Yi's contract could make him an interesting trade chip, but for now the Lakers seem to be interested in him as a backup big man four years after he washed out of the NBA and returned home to the Chinese CBA.
In particular, flush at power forward with Randle and Nance, the Lakers apparently view Yi as a possible backup center. At 7 feet, he has the size for the position, and the most evident change in Yi since he last played stateside was bulking up in the upper body to deal with physical opponents. Nonetheless, Yi is a below-average shot-blocker and defensive rebounder for a center and probably would struggle to protect the rim.
Offensively, Yi's skills make him an intriguing option at center. He made 34 3-pointers last season at a 37.4 percent clip from the shorter FIBA 3-point line. Yi was a 33.3 percent 3-point shooter during his first NBA stint, peaking with 48 triples in his second season. The Lakers don't really have a stretch big man on the roster, so Yi provides a complement to their interior options.
Ivica Zubac
Position: Center
Experience: Rookie
Age: 19
Scouting report
+ Polished post scorer for age with good touch around the basket
+ Also shows some range and ability to pass from high post
+ Can protect the rim but lacks ideal lateral quickness on D
Analysis
Considered a possible first-round pick, Zubac slipped to the second round, where the Lakers took him with the No. 32 overall pick. Though the 19-year-old Zubac has limited high-level experience, he's joining the Lakers right away on a three-year deal worth a little more than $3 million. He showed enough skills during summer league to contribute as a rookie, though the Yi signing might block his path to the rotation.
Zubac's offensive game is built around his ability in the post. He can patiently move defenders and use his soft touch around the basket. Zubac can step away from the basket too, demonstrating 20-foot range in Las Vegas and knocking down nine of his 11 free throw attempts. The downside is Zubac isn't much of a pick-and-roll player, which would be an issue if he and Randle ultimately end up as the Lakers' starting frontcourt.
Scouts' concerns about Zubac centered mainly on the defensive end. At 7 feet, he can block a shot when he's in position, but he doesn't move well laterally. That will be an issue defending on the perimeter and against the pick-and-roll, a major area of improvement for Zubac going forward. He also projects as a below-average defensive rebounder for a center.
Tarik Black
Position: Center
Experience: 2 years
Age: 24
Scouting report
+ Thick backup center who plays within limitations
+ Good finisher around the basket who plays above the rim
+ Fine rebounder but not much of a shot-blocking presence
Analysis
Black produced when he was on the court last season, which made it hard to understand Scott playing him only 496 minutes. The Lakers' front office evidently disagreed with the coach's conclusion, re-signing Black to a two-year, $13 million deal with the 2017-18 salary non-guaranteed. He'll battle for backup minutes at center.
A powerful finisher around the hoop, Black dunked on more than half of his field goals last season (31 of 57), according to Basketball-Reference.com. That's largely the extent of Black's offensive contributions. Playing to his strengths, he attempted only eight shots all season outside the painted area according to NBA.com/Stats (making one of them).
At 6-foot-9, Black is small for a center, and he doesn't block many shots. In what might be a case of small sample size theater, Black did have the best rim-protection numbers on the Lakers last season, allowing opponents to shoot just 48.4 percent inside five feet according to SportVU tracking on NBA.com/Stats. Black is effective on the defensive glass, where he pulled down more than a quarter of available rebounds last season.
Anthony Brown
Position: Forward
Experience: 1 year
Age: 23
Scouting report
+ Aspiring 3-and-D wing who didn't excel in either role as rookie
+ Mostly a catch-and-shoot option on offense who must make open 3s
+ Willing defender with good size who must learn nuances of D
Analysis
The Lakers took Brown with the No. 34 overall pick of the 2015 draft in hopes of getting a badly needed 3-and-D role player. In Year 1, Brown wasn't really able to fulfill either half of that equation. Since he'll be 24 in October, that doesn't bode well for Brown's chances of ever breaking into the rotation.
Brown started 11 games as the only true small forward on the Lakers' roster. The addition of Deng and Ingram takes away that claim, so Brown will have to start making some shots to find his way onto the court. More than half his shot attempts were 3-pointers, but Brown made them at just a 28.6 percent clip on 70 attempts. Though he shot nearly 45 percent his last two years at Stanford, Brown wasn't much more accurate in seven D-League games (31.9 percent), so the longer 3-point line might be an issue for him.
At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Brown has the tools to defend either wing spot, and he was considered a defensive stopper in college. But he looked lost at times against NBA talent, including a memorable game where Klay Thompson dropped 36 on the Lakers in early January. Brown will have to show defensive improvement for the Lakers to guarantee his 2017-18 salary.
Marcelo Huertas
Position: Guard
Experience: 1 year
Age: 33
Scouting report
+ International veteran who had eventful NBA rookie season
+ Flashy passer who was vulnerable to trying to do too much
+ Lacks combination of strength and quickness necessary on defense
Analysis
An NBA rookie at age 32, Huertas brought the flair that has made him a star internationally to the U.S. for the first time and the real winner was the NBA's video community. Whether it was shooting over his head with the shot clock running out, getting crossed over by Brandon Knight or throwing no-look passes, Huertas' highlights were humdingers. He'll try to provide more of the good variety after re-signing with the Lakers for $3.1 million over two years with the 2017-18 salary non-guaranteed.
Huertas was far and away the Lakers' best passer last season and probably too unselfish at times, passing up layups to set up teammates. His penchant for no-look passing and high-risk, high-reward plays translated into regular miscues. When he looks to score, Huertas has a wide array of floaters and in-between shots he uses to neutralize shot-blockers. However, he was inefficient as a scorer because he shot just 26.2 percent from 3-point range. Huertas shot around 35 percent from the shorter FIBA 3-point line and might prove more accurate with a year to adjust to NBA distance.
The slight Huertas does a decent job staying in front of his man but is in trouble when he's beaten off the dribble. He's too small to contest shots from behind and also wasn't able to offer much resistance as a help defender. But he has well-honed defensive tricks to compensate on the ball.
Nick Young
Position: Guard
Experience: 9 years
Age: 31
Scouting report
+ Volume shooter whose efficiency plunged to unacceptable levels
+ Almost exclusively shot 3-pointers at career-low rates
+ Lacks focus and intensity to be successful defensively
Analysis
Young had a bad season on the court and a worse one off it. In March, a video shot by Russell of Young discussing his relationships with other women was made public. Months later, Young and fiancé Iggy Azalea announced their engagement was off, though later reporting cast doubt on a connection between the two events. Young's ability to play with Russell was one concern that led to speculation the Lakers might buy out the remaining two years on his contract, but Young remains on the roster for now.
The Lakers might want to move on from Young for basketball reasons. He averaged a career-low 13.7 points per 36 minutes and has shot a wretched 36.3 percent on 2-point attempts each of the last two seasons. Young compensated by taking nearly two-thirds of his shots from 3-point range, but his accuracy dipped from 36.9 percent to 32.5 percent. As a result, Young's true shooting percentage (.483) was also the worst of his career. So, for that matter, was his usage rate (18.5 percent, down from 26.0 percent the previous season).
Even when Young was contributing offensively, his limited interest in defense made him a dubious contributor. With Young now a minus at both ends, the last two seasons of his four-year, $21 million deal look like wasted money whether he's on the roster or not.
Zach Auguste
Position: Forward
Experience: Rookie
Age: 23
Scouting report
+ Averaged a double-double as senior at Notre Dame
+ Has offensive game of center but rarely blocks shots
Analysis
Undrafted out of Notre Dame, Auguste parlayed a solid run as a backup big man on the Lakers' summer-league team into a two-year deal with $60,000 guaranteed, per BasketballInsiders.com. Though the Lakers have 14 guaranteed contracts and Yi, they could clear a spot on the roster by waiving Young.
Auguste showed good energy and athleticism for a big man in Las Vegas. However, he lacks range as a shooter (he made 62.8 percent of his free throws in college) and isn't a rim protector (he blocked only one shot in four games during summer league). So Auguste might not have an NBA position.
Julian Jacobs
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
Age: 21
Scouting report
+ Surprising early entrant who went undrafted
+ Strong defender who can run an offense
Analysis
Jacobs surprised draftniks by declaring for the 2016 draft after his junior season at USC. While he'd made strides as a playmaker in helping lead the Trojans to the NCAA tournament, Jacobs wasn't a likely pick and indeed went unselected. After playing for the Indiana Pacers' summer-league team, Jacobs is back to L.A. for training camp with the Lakers. He's a good defender with the size to match up at either guard spot and averaged 7.0 assists per 40 minutes as a junior. Alas, Jacobs' poor 3-point shooting (30.9 percent career from the college line) probably dooms his NBA chances at this point.
Travis Wear
Position: Forward
Experience: 1 year
Age: 25
Scouting report
+ Role player who's a combo forward
+ Struggled to score efficiently in NBA
Analysis
Being careful not to favor one of L.A.'s two Pac-12 schools over the other, the Lakers signed UCLA alum Wear at the same time as USC product Jacobs. A native of the L.A. area, Wear played 51 games for the New York Knicks in 2014-15 as a rookie before spending last year in Spain. The Knicks liked Wear's decision-making and off-ball movement in the triangle offense, but he wasn't much of an offensive threat despite shooting a fluky 36.7 percent on 30 3-point attempts. Wear shot only 40.8 percent inside the arc, and he's too poor a rebounder to really succeed at power forward, so he's likely to end up with the Lakers' D-League affiliate.