The Los Angeles Lakers are set to begin a new era on Wednesday night, fittingly enough against one of the franchise’s former head coaches in Mike D’Antoni and the Houston Rockets.
D’Antoni’s final season in Los Angeles triggered the run of three consecutive seasons that saw the Lakers end up in the NBA Draft Lottery and having to rebuild through the draft. While each pick over the course of the past three years will play a vital role in the future of the Lakers, perhaps none will be greater than D’Angelo Russell.
After an overall impressive rookie campaign that endured its ups and downs, many expect Russell to lead the next generation of Lakers, theoretically taking the torch left behind by Kobe Bryant.