22. Los Angeles Lakers

By: Lucas Kochevar 

       The Lakers have been rebuilding for a couple of seasons and they thought they found their PG in D'Angelo Russell. Until a prospect named Lonzo Ball came into the mix since they had the 2nd overall pick in the draft. The Lakers quickly traded Russell and Timofey Mozgov for Brook Lopez and then shortly after that the draft came and they selected the face of their franchise, Lonzo Ball. The Lakers made some very minor moves as they will be trying to dump some salaries in preparation for next off season. The Lakers gained talent as they will most likely have a developing year for Ball and the other young players. This is my projected starting lineup for them.

PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Brandon Ingram 
PF: Julius Randle
C: Brook Lopez

6th Man: Jordan Clarkson 

     The Lakers PG depth is actually very good compared to other teams. They obviously have Lonzo Ball, who has been complimented by the best in the game. They have Jordan Clarkson at backup and he is a very good quality backup. In the beginning of the year he had a legitimate chance at 6th man of the year. The SG position is the weakest and KCP is not a bad starter as he is a good defender and he can shoot fairly well. The problem is he is on a one year deal and they do not have the depth to replace him. The SF position is held down by Brandon Ingram as he has apparently grown a couple inches and gained some weight. This should really help  him as he needs to develop his offense beyond his shooting. The PF position is between Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. both of them are quality PF and they should both help each other compete. The center position is held down by offensive big man Brook Lopez. Lopez should provide consistent production. The Lakers will have another year of developing and they should be ready to push for a playoff spot next season.