Rookie forward Julius Randle, the No. 7 overall pick, suffered a broken right leg in the fourth quarter of last night's loss to the Houston Rockets. Here are four thoughts on what that means:
1. For the longest time, the Los Angeles Lakers were the most attractive, fortunate and lucky franchise in the entire NBA. But oh, how the mighty have fallen. The only two positive storylines for Lakers fans to follow this season were Kobe Bryant's return from injury and never-ending quest for world domination the all-time scoring title and Randle's promising rookie year. The latter was the only bright spot in an increasingly murky future for Los Angeles. Now, Lakers fans can't even enjoy that little sub-plot. Sure, Randle could be back in two months or so, but he's missing valuable developmental time that will likely stunt his growth.
2. The Lakers have struck out big time in free agency over the last couple seasons. Their plan was to snag a star in the open market to help Bryant claim that elusive sixth ring as his career came to an end. It's not like the Dwight Howard trade worked out exactly how they planned, after all. Instead, Bryant has suffered through two major injuries and last season's 27-55 campaign. No stars have been willing to join the Lakers' sinking ship. If Randle can't get healthy and prove that he is a piece to build around, the Lakers will continue to struggle to add marquee talent in free agency.
3. What is the best way to add marquee talent? Through the draft. Even with a healthy Randle and Bryant in 'Eff You mode, the Lakers were never going to be all that good. With the team's prized rookie now set to miss a chunk of the season, a lottery selection in next year's NBA draft is almost assuredly on its way to L.A. If the team is bad enough to trudge into the top-five of the lottery, then they would keep one of the picks they traded to the Phoenix Suns for Steve Nash. A healthy Randle, plus a highly hyped rookie, next season could be the exact building blocks Los Angeles needs to reestablish itself as the premiere NBA franchise.
4. I don't think coach Byron Scott is going to be around for long. The team's remote chances of surprising people this season just evaporated. Bryant is going to take as many shots as his aging body can muster, regardless of what that means for the success of the team. Even if the Lakers do add a top-five pick next year, his rookie impact will probably be more potential than results. Scott seems to be the Lakers' placeholder until the Bryant era ends and the team can properly reload.
