Wait, wait, wait patiently. Has not the Los Angeles Lakers’ first time with LeBron James been an unmitigated disaster?
You could call it that, sure. But remember we’re talking about James’ initial time in Hollywood. He’s signed on for two more and, besides shouldering some uncharacteristic blows he often looks like the league’s most dominant force.
That is where the Lakers’ foundation starts. It may be enough on its own to justify our place.
But there’s more to consider here.
Former No. 2 select Brandon Ingram was in the middle of a breakout before deep venous thrombosis prematurely finished his third time. Kyle Kuzma, the diamond in the rough of last year, has pushed nearly all his categories that were counting ahead. Lonzo Ball continued flooding stat sheets with per-36-minute marks of 11.8 points, 6.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds before an ankle injury shut him down.
Kuzma is 23 years old; Ingram and Ball are 21. Whether they are commerce chips or building blocks, they remain valuable assets.
They’ll need help if the Lakers will make a championship run with James. But given their financial flexibility, young talent and possible top-10 select this summerthey have the capacity to snag a star (or more) for the second straight offseason.

Read more: canballreport.com