The losses are piling up for the Los Angeles Lakers and now the future is coming more into focus as the team looks to rebuild following the retirement of Kobe Bryant. Head coach Byron Scott is trying to figure out which players of the core youth group will actually develop into a star as many continue to struggle with each game. D'Angelo Russell continues to get benched. Jordan Clarkson is struggling with consistency. Now Julius Randle is left to compete for his spot on the team.
Randle is not having the season the Lakers were hoping he would after he missed his rookie year with a leg injury. The inconsistencies of Randle have paired with the rise of Larry Nance Jr and now Scott wants them competing for the starting job. Both players excel when they get the starting nod which could make the battle interesting. For now, Randle will keep his starting spot as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports the Lakers are shutting Nance down until after the All-Star break with knee soreness.
"I want it to be open competition," Scott said, via the Los Angeles Daily News. "I think guys should feed off of that. I want him to go against some of the best players in this league. That's mostly starters. It is a priority. Right now with Julius, because of Larry getting injured, he got that position back. But when Larry's healthy, he'll get it back."
The doubt around Randle brings the trade rumors back into focus for the Lakers. According to ESPN.com, Randle's name has been tossed around in a deal for DeMar DeRozan. Lakers' fans should not expected this to happen, but it does show that the team is not totally committed to the top draft pick like they once were. This goes for a number of the young players right now as everyone continues to struggle on the court. According to Scott, some of the issues are arising simply because losses are taking a toll on everyone mentally.
"I think the challenge for our young guys is to stay the course," said Scott, via ESPN.com. "Continue to think positive. Continue to work their butts off and good things will happen. But if we can't figure it out from a mental standpoint at times too, then we're going to continue to struggle."
The future could be bright for the Lakers if they can get an established star or two on the roster. The Lakers will chase DeRozan in free agency along with Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Kevin Durant is a name that will be talked about in the organization along with Russell Westbrook in 2017. For now, the Lakers will focus on developing the young players while keeping names like Roy Hibbert, Nick Young and Brandon Bass available at the trade deadline.