The level of optimism was high coming into the 2017-2018 season for the Lakers. Jeanie Buss ousted her brother, Jim Buss, and then-GM, Mitch Kupchak and replaced them with Laker legend Magic Johnson (President of Basketball Operations) and Rob “Lowe” Pelinka (General Manager). This was followed by the team winning the No. 2 pick of the lottery, which they used to get Lonzo Ball.

In the same draft, the Lakers ended up with a steal at No. 27 with Kyle Kuzma, a.k.a Summer League MVP, a.k.a current Laker cult hero. Even the earlier parts of the 2016-2017 had some positive vibes with the hiring of head coach Luke Walton, a .500 record till late November and a 20-point victory against the Golden State Warriors. As Laker fans would attest, expectations were running high.

Personally, I’ve been following the Lakers since the 80’s. I’ve been spoiled by the five championships from the Showtime Era, three championships from the Shaq-Kobe partnership, and two championships from the Kobe lead Gasol-Odom-Bynum teams. The Lakers don’t rebuild. They attract the biggest stars of the game.

Since the death of the beloved Dr. Jerry Buss, the Jim Buss-Mitch Kupchak management ran the storied franchise to the ground. The Lakers didn’t have much to show for it. They made questionable free agent signings with the likes of Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgoz and had mediocre draft picks like Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. (I would’ve added D’Angelo Russell to this list, but he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he is thriving now.) The Lakers were going through their own version of The Process without the savviness of Sam Hinkie. But after seeing all those Lonzo Ball passes and Kuzma becoming the real Summer League MVP, I was excited to see the revamped Lakers start the season.

Unfortunately, the Lakers were underwhelming in their first game. They lost to their crosstown rivals, the Clippers, 108-92. Lonzo had three points on 1-of-6 shooting with four assists, two turnovers and was 0-for-2 on free throws. Brandon Ingram, who everyone expected to make the leap, did a bit better with 12 points (3-of-15 field goals made), five rebounds, four assists and one turnover. It was atrocious. On top of that, LaVar Ball became a distraction by starting a feud with Patrick Beverley. It was not the start that everyone was expecting from the Lakers.

But in the second game, the Lakers came out on top by winning against the Phoenix Suns, 132-130. Lonzo Ball almost had a triple-double with 29 points, nine assists and 11 rebounds. Ingram stepped it up with 25 points on 9-of-14 field goals made that included three three-pointers and 4-of-6 from the line. They played with better defense and attacked with more purpose to the basket.

Rolling into the third game, I was feeling high after their last win. Sadly, the Lakers followed up their first victory of the season with a poor defensive effort against the New Orleans Pelicans, 119-112. It was the vets that kept the team in the game. Jordan Clarkson was big with 24 points, five assists and three three-pointers, while KCP added 20 points, two three-pointers, one steal and one block. The kids didn’t do well with the exception of Kuzma, who had a well-rounded game with 20 points, six rebounds, two assists one steal and three three-pointers. There were good moments in this game where I thought the Lakers were going to come out with their second win, but the Pelicans ended the game with a run and overcame LA’s inexperience.

It’s obvious that LA’s vets will be holding the fort while the young guns go through their growing pains. The Lakers will experience some rough times ahead but I don’t think it’s going to be as rough as teams like Phoenix. And I definitely don’t think any of the Lakers’ players will be sending out tweets like this:

At the moment, Zo-Time isn’t as glamorous as Showtime. Magic Johnson may have passed the torch to Lonzo Ball but there’s still a long way to go before the glory days of the past make it to the present. On a positive note, the Lakers’ youth, coaching staff and management are approaching this season with measured expectations. They understand the struggles that lie ahead but are very bullish about the opportunities stored in the future. It’s not difficult to visualize success and championships in LA. All they have to do is to look up the to rafters of Staples Center and remember that winning is in the team’s DNA.