Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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While that realization may be somewhat disappointing for fans and the team itself after they got off to a better-than-expected 10-10 start, it's actually quite all right. The skill sets and the role delineation of the group of players the Lakers expect to lead them into the future are beginning to take shape, but it's probably going to take some time for these guys to coalesce into whatever they're going to be. The Lakers have a league-high five players aged 24 or younger playing at least 20 minutes a night, but they're all progressing in fits and starts and flashing their skills at different rates. There's a reason Luke Walton has allowed them to share the floor for only five minutes all season.D'Angelo Russell is the team's lead ball-handler and primary creator, but he's in more of a time share in that role than one might have expected given the team Walton's former employer and Russell's "Curry-lite"(-ish) skill set. He suffered an early injury and has seen his shooting decline from almost every area of the floor except beyond the arc, but he's also shown that the increased burden isn't altogether too much for him to handle. His presumptive backcourt partner, Jordan Clarkson, has instead come off the bench for most of the season behind Lou Williams. Williams has been scorching-hot all year, while Clarkson's adjustment to the role of off-the-bench microwave is still a work in progress.Read More: Harrison Barnes on Free Agency, the Olympics, and Playing with the Mavs
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