With training camp set to open in a week - I think we're ALL ready for that - it's fascinating to consider where they are now vs. where things were at this point last year. A year ago, the Lakers were still in play for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from the Pacers. We were all still wondering if the Lakers really were going to enter the season with Russell Westbrook even while Darvin Ham was saying all the right stuff.

Today? While the Lakers have questions and concerns (as all teams do) nobody has to squint or twist themselves into pretzels to feel genuine optimism about where this season could go. There is no leaning into best case scenarios. Instead, this is a group that, if healthy, should be very good. With real balance up and down the roster. That's basically it.

And it's really great!

If there's a spot that shows the contrast between last year and this season, it's in the guard rotation. Last year, there was Russ and Reaves, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, a rookie Max Christie, plus Kendrick Nunn coming off an injury. That's a lot of question marks. And even while someone like Walker had some good moments and overall played just fine (relative to expectations), it's worth noting that only two of those players finished the season on the roster, and only one actually played a role.

This year, Reaves will be joined by D'Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent to form a very solid core of guards (given that the team's star power is in the front court). With them, you'll hopefully see Christie, and then hopefully not that much Jalen Hood-Schifino (because that means things have gone incredibly right, or really wrong, and the latter would be far more likely in this scenario). It's hard to overstate how much better a place they're in.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What a difference a year makes.

SEGMENT 2: Breaking down the guards.

SEGMENT 3: More analysis of the guards. Who starts, who finishes? What of Christie?

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