Los Angeles Lakers Team Preview: D’Angelo Russell ROY?

Alright, fantasy basketball fans time for my next NBA team preview. Today, I’ll be analyzing three players from the Los Angeles Lakers and discussing how they can benefit your fantasy teams in 2015-16. The Lakers are one of the NBA’s most decorated franchises, but these days they’ve lost their luster a bit.

Kobe Bryant is potentially coming into his final season before his imminent retirement, so the Lakers are looking to rebuild their team. There are brighter days coming to Los Angeles though, with rookie D’Angelo Russell coming to town and Bryant finally getting healthy, the Lakers fantasy outlook is better for this upcoming season.

So, here’s my NBA team preview for the Los Angeles Lakers:

D’Angelo Russell, PG

Russell will be one of the top rookies entering the 2015-16 NBA season. I have high fantasy expectations for this 2nd overall 2015 draft pick this year. In just one season at Ohio State, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He also shot a nice 41 percent from three-point range, making him a very viable option for fantasy. Russell was a force to be reckoned with in college, which should spill over into his NBA career.

Will Russell be this year’s ROY? I think he has the most upside overall to achieve this goal because of his raw athletic talent. Playing alongside Kobe Bryant will give him a ton of opportunities to rack up some assists at the point guard position. One exciting aspect of this Lakers’ squad is that they are a young, fast-paced team. With fellow point guard Jordan Clarkson, Russell should thrive in this offense and really put up solid rookie season numbers. The one aspect of Russell that I like the most is his moxie, he’s so confident with his skills and really shows it on the basketball court.

Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16

15.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game

Roy Hibbert, C

After seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Hibbert finally moved on from a bad situation. He just didn’t seem to fit in with the Pacers and now he’s with a Lakers team who can appreciate the big guy. Hibbert has averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for his career. He doesn’t put up explosive offensive numbers, but he does get the job done overall at both ends of the court. Hibbert was an absolute monster during his time at Georgetown, but with the Pacers I just didn’t see that same focus from him. The change of scenery will do wonders for his game in my opinion, revitalizing his career.

The best part about drafting Hibbert for fantasy is the fact that he is the go-to center for the Lakers. Robert Sacre isn’t really a viable option is he? Hibbert’s defensive ability is my favorite aspect of his game. He can easily get between two or three blocks per game, which is a nice stat for your category based fantasy leagues. Is Hibbert going to come in and be the best fantasy center of this decade? No, but he’s going to be a solid player who you can get late in your upcoming drafts.

Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16

12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game

Julius Randle, PF

Randle will have to battle with Brandon Bass for the starting power forward position with the Lakers in 2015-16. Although, Bass is a good player, Randle is a massively talented guy who can really make waves this year. This is Randle’s second NBA season, however, he only played in one game last year before suffering a broken leg. So, let’s look at his college stats to get a better grasp on his talent. In one season at the University of Kentucky, Randle averaged 15.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. With the likes of Hibbert and Bass alongside him, he should be a viable option at power forward.

Not only is Randle healthy coming into the 2015-16 season, I read a report where he has lost 20 pounds this off-season. This shows us that he’s dedicated and is ready to be a starter at the professional level. If Randle is, in fact, a starter, I don’t see any reason not to draft him. He could easily be a double-double threat every night he takes the floor. Randle has comeback player of the year candidate written all over him.

Fantasy Prediction for 2015-16

14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game

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