In order to prepare for the future which of the present will only go forward? My take

Laker Players who I feel should remain a laker 2-3 years from now

Lonzo Ball- Excellent passing vision and really has impressed on the defensive end. I'll admit that his on Ball defense is lacking a little bit but I believe it will get better with time. He does have his shooting woes as of right now and I feel that it's a confidence issue with him not feeling comfortable with his shot because he's in a slump. I also feel like he takes unnecessary shots because he feels like he has to instead of taking them because he wants to. I really like his all around game, a few years from now I can see a Westbrook type player if he continues to work hard.

Prediction: Starting PG Westbrook

Brandon Ingram- Length. For. Days... ever since he started getting aggressive he's been on a mission. When he drives the lane it takes him like 2 steps to get to the rim and the defender never really has a chance. He isn't great at shooting 3s but I feel that will get better over time. He looks like he can be something really special, I think he's like Durant in a way just not as great of a shooter and I believe he's a better defender. He doesn't back down from anyone, I would just love to see him show the same style of play every game as he plays during big games. Once he puts on more muscle and develops a 3pt shot, he's going to be lethal.

Prediction: Starting SF Durant

Josh Hart- When you talk about elite defenders, that's underrating Josh Hart... The dude just hustles and loves to play a team game. He has the willingness to shoot when he wants and drives the lane with ease. He will defend the teams best player and is a really unselfish player. He gives you his absolute 100% when he's on the court at all times. He really reminds me of a Tony Allen type player. He makes the most of what he gets and he's happy with it, what more could you want from a player?

Prediction: Backup PG/SG Allen

Kyle Kuzma- This guy is an absolute baller, he has really helped ease the pain of losing DLo over the summer by basically almost replacing his production but he's a way better defender. He needs to be the starter and should be the starter, him and Lonzo have a good connection and he is not afraid to shoot the ball. He actually shoots a lot but when you're as accurate as he is, it doesn't matter because he's knocking them down. He doesn't back down from opposing players and I feel like that has a lot to do with the chip on his shoulder. If he slims down a little bit I could see him being a Paul Pierce type player.

Prediction: Starting PF Pierce

Larry Nance Jr.- Hes been on the team for awhile and you can tell players really like him in the locker room. Another thing, he's the undisputed dunk contest champion that not many know about(Aside from us fans). He plays a technical game, he cares about the win instead of personal glory. He has some defensive lapses at times but he is a good defender overall and will do the dirty work no one wants to do. One thing I'd really like to see from him is to stop being so passive aggressive, defenders will literally give him 5-8 feet of space when he's on the 3 because right when he gets the Ball he's looking to pass it away, take those shots and keep the defense honest, I know he can make them so I'm wondering if it's a major confidence issue, I'd be happy if he took as much as Randle does. I don't have an idea who to compare him to so I guess I can say he's one of a kind to me. I don't know any player who was solid on defense and very passive aggressive on offense but when he dunks, he dunks hard...

Prediction: Backup PF One of a kind

These players below are players I haven't seen enough from to determine if they would be a fit for the long term so therefore I'll put them on my TBD list.

Ivica Zubac-He looked like a stud coming into his first season, he was blocking everybody, showing a great paint skill set but you could tell that he was very very raw as a prospect. He was a bigger guy that couldn't keep up with the pace and that was a clear disadvantage for him. He lost wait but ultimately his Summer League wasn't even as close to impressive to his first, the way he played in his 2nd Summer League tournament was exactly how I expected him to play in his first, again this year he proved to still be very raw but with the training he's putting in and the muscle he's putting on, I can see a Marc Gasol type player with more range.

Prediction: Potential starting C Gasol

Thomas Bryant- I have barely seen him play, from what I have seen though, it looks like he has outside range and can grind in the paint on both sides of the ball, watching him play reminded me of Tarik Black with a jumpshot and more length.

Prediction: Backup C Black

Ok, now you may be wondering why some guys may not be on this list, I'll give you my reasons and if you still think I'm wrong then you can tell me why.

Julius Randle- as much as I love his energy, he just doesn't do enough for me to retain him as a valuable asset for the future. His shooting really kills us and his bully ball charges into the paint really effect the ball movement of the team. There are times where Randle can be really good and times where he's a big liability. I believe his production gets replaced with Kuzmas production and that the team would benefit altogether from Randles departure.

Jordan Clarkson- *sigh* yes, I know Clarkson is a lot of people's favorite players, he can score but at the benefit of being an average defender and over dribbling until he figures out what to do. No doubt in my mind makes me think Clarkson isn't a valuable bench piece, I just believe he doesn't fit this system. He really loves isos and that kills the Ball movement and therefore our flow of the game.

Corey Brewer- Honestly, I've been liking what Corey's been showing, he's really shown he could be a valuable bench piece and I'm honestly not really happy with putting his name here, problem is, 2-3 years from now would make him 33-34 years old and I don't want his pace to slow down and become a liability. He has really been a key contributor early on in the season and it's crazy to believe that the team got Brewer, Hart, and Bryant for Lou Williams.

Luol Deng- I don't think I need to explain.... if I do, ok. He's terrible and 2-3 years from now he'll be gone. Next.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope- I really like his defense but sadly if we're going to try and compete for a championship, his hero ball antics really kills us. He is a good backup SG for a playoff team needing defense off the bench with a little bit of scoring but unfortunately, I don't believe he is worthy to be a starter on a championship team.

Brook Lopez- aside from the fact he'll be 32 3 years from now isn't that bad, he's just kind of too slow for the pace of this game already and imagine 3 years from now when all other players are developed and wanting to run at a faster pace, he'll be the odd man out of the lineups and unfortunately that's not what we need here.

Andrew Bogut- He's a 1 year player, he wouldn't make it 2-3 years and is therefore just a player who brings solid rim protection but his mobility won't even be on pace with what the future brings.

The Future Team So Far:

Lonzo Ball PG

TBD SG

Brandon Ingram SF

Kyle Kuzma PF

TBD C

TBD PG

Josh Hart SG

TBD SF

Larry Nance Jr. PF

TBD C