Los Angeles Lakers: Three areas the team will excel in next season

With all of the moves and Lakers rumors in Los Angeles, the next several seasons seem to be promising. Starting with next year, what are three areas the young Los Angeles team will excel in?

The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of hype surrounding them heading into this season. With talks of LeBron James eventually coming to LA looming, the 2017-18 season may be a huge statement from this young Lakers team. Los Angeles arguably had one of the best offseasons in all of basketball, perhaps even becoming the most improved team in the process.

The expectations for the Lakers next season have been mixed. Some think that the team can win as many as 44 games next season. However, ESPN projects that the Lakers will only win 33 games next season.

For a team that has not won more than 27 games the last four seasons, these predictions are a step in the right direction. With head coach Luke Walton heading into his second season, Magic Johnson now running the show and the talents the Lakers added there is a possibility that they could sneak into the playoffs as an eighth seed.

Regardless, next season is going to be a feel it out season, with the front office likely going hard in the 2018 offseason. Even if the Lakers do make the playoffs, there is no chance they would be able to dethrone the Warriors or the Rockets. Again, next season will be more important for the long-term future of the Lakers, not the short-term.

Even though they do not have a real shot at the title, this Lakers team does still look good on paper and will thrive in many ways. Here are three areas of focus that the Lakers will excel in next season.