Will the Lakers turn Russell Westbrook i

With a new season on the horizon, the Lakers are doing everything in their power to make a nightmarish 2021-22 campaign a distant memory.Le A.J. Green Jersey s than two years after hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2020, the Lakers convene for training camp in 2022 with more questions than certainties. LA enters the 2022-23 season with a new head coach, 13 new players on its roster and just two players remaining from its championship team: LeBron James and Anthony Davis.After all that went wrong in 2020-21, it was clear that change was nece sary, but did the Lakers make the nece sary changes to move back towards contending in the Western Conference?Here are the biggest questions facing the Lakers after an offseason of change in Los Angeles.1. Is Ru sell Westbrook going to become a sixth man?Westbrook's status with the Lakers looms large as the elephant in the room. Despite averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 a sists, Westbrook's first season in LA was largely viewed as a disappointment.While Westbrook was mentioned in numerous trade reports throughout the offseason, the former MVP's $47 million salary is a large reason that no team has motioned to acquire him. This offseason also saw the Lakers bring in two more guards in Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder, making for a crowded backcourt that also includes Kendrick Nunn, who mi sed all of last season with a knee inury.Newly-minted head coach , but with his struggles and LA's guard depth, could Westbrook be best suited to lead the Lakers' second unit? Would he be open to that role?As Westbrook is set to turn 34 in a contract year, he's Hardy Nickerson Jersey reached a crucial juncture that could define the rest of his career in the NBA.NOH:2. Can Anthony Davis stay healthy?Health is next to impo sible to predict, but Davis has had a difficult time staying on the floor a big i sue considering how paramount he is to LA's succe ses.Since Los Angeles won the title in 2020, Davis has appeared in 76 of a po sible 154 regular-season games, including 42 absences during the 2021-22 campaign.If Davis can return to playing like a top-10 talent in the league, the Lakers' outlook for the 2022-23 season becomes much more positive.3. Will LeBron James show signs of slowing down in Year 20?It's an annual question that comes with the territory of James getting older. Is this the year that Father Time improves upon its undefeated record?When available, James was incredible in his 19th season, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 a sists over 50 games B.W. Webb Jersey , numbers good enough for Third Team All-NBA honors. Great as James' numbers were, availability was a major concern as James mi sed 24 games to various ailments, while eight absences were due to rest.Save for the injuries, James has defied all logic with respect to slowing down with age. As he enters his 20th NBA season, James is months away from his 38th birthday and, given the Lakers' roster construction, must again perform at an All-NBA level to give the team a chance to return to the NBA Playoffs.MORE:4. What type of impact will Darvin Ham have on the locker room?A longtime a sistant coach, Ham brings an authoritative voice to a Lakers team that has an interesting blend of veterans and younger players.When LA's coaching search began, "we want a strong voice that is able to inspire the players to play at the highest level of competition every night." Jordan Willis Jersey While that holds true for most all coaching searches, the search for a strong voice is especially important to note in this instance.During his coaching career, Ham has worked a host of stars including Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and, more recently, Giannis Antetokonmpo.Ham, 49, is now tasked with commanding a locker room that has three of the NBA's 75 greatest players in James, Davis and Westbrook. He's expected to have the same type of approach with each member of the roster from top to bottom, which is a level of accountability needed in LA.The big question is how each member of the roster will respond to Ham's approach.5. How impactful will LA's new additions be?Among the Lakers' 13 new players are several players that will KeiVarae Russell Jersey be looked upon to have an immediate impact on the team.Earlier in the offseason, how free-agent additions Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Lonnie Walker IV can fit alongside LA's core. The aforementioned five players are much younger than the Lakers' offseason additions in 2021, signaling a shift in approach to build around James, Davis and Westbrook.In the time since adding those five, the Lakers have traded for Beverley and added Schroder on a veteran's minimum deal. Add in rookies Max Christie, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider and the Lakers look different (and younger) than they did last season.Can they make it work?There will be a learning curve, which is why the ahead of training camp could prove to be crucial for developing team chemistry leading into the season.If half of LA's new additions can be impactful, the team will already be better off than in the previous season.