With their 2017-18 regular-season opener Oct. 19, the Los Angeles Lakers have started whittling their roster down to its final shape.

The player count is down to 18 following Monday's waiving of V.J. Beachem and Stephen Zimmerman. More cuts will follow in the coming days as the Lakers continue plotting the path into their new era.

Now, it's time to take stock of what exactly L.A. has. And there's no better way to evaluate the current crop than a good, old-fashioned power ranking.

While it's a subjective exercise, there is a method to this process. All 18 players have been assessed based on their ability, proven production and importance to the team.

Since the Lakers are still in the early stages of their rebuild, we're adding extra weight to young prospects who will help down the road.

The Long Shots

18. Briante Weber, PG

He's been an NBA-level defender since his days at VCU, where he was thrice selected the Atlantic 10 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. It's the other end where Weber has struggled to prove he's an NBA talent.

Over 27 big league games, the 6'2" point guard holds career marks of 39.4 percent shooting (1-of-15 outside) and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes.

17. Vander Blue, SG

During four seasons since leaving Marquette, Blue has only played five NBA games. He's spent most of his time in the G League, where he was last season's MVP and sits third on the all-time scoring list. He's a professional scorer (24.8 points per game in 2016-17), but there are reasons his NBA dream has yet to become a reality.

He's been a ball-dominant scorer at lower levels, but big league clubs won't let him dominate touches like that. While he's capable of spotting up outside (career 35.5 percent in the G League), he's a streaky shooter. Given L.A.'s glut of young wings, the 25-year-old will probably get crunched by the numbers game.

16. Alex Caruso, PG

Unlike the two players listed behind him, Caruso knows how he'll be spending the upcoming campaign. Thanks to a strong summer-league showing, the 6'5" point guard scored the franchise's first two-way contract.

He doesn't have a towering ceiling, and he has struggled with his outside shot in the past (34.0 percent for his college career). But he's a quick-thinking, selfless passer and relentless defender, who still holds Texas A&M's all-time marks in assists and steals.

The Back of the Bench

15. Andrew Bogut, C

The former No. 1 pick has yet to make his preseason debut for the Lakers, delayed first by a visa issue and now a groin strain. He also plays perhaps the Lakers' deepest position and may not warrant a roster spot if the team would rather use more minutes on player development.

Bogut isn't a lock to make the team, although he probably doesn't sign a contract unless he really likes his odds. Plus, he has a few things working in his favor.

For starters, he has a history with head coach Luke Walton, as the two shared a tenure with the Golden State Warriors. If Bogut gets healthy, he's also a potential fix for L.A.'s broken defense (dead last in efficiency the last two years). He can also help bring the young bigs along, as he has already connected with 20-year-old 7-footer Ivica Zubac.

"He already has helped me a lot," Zubac said, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "His parents are Croatian, and he spends every summer in Croatia, so we speak fluently. ... To have [Bogut] here and help me since I'm Croatian, it really means a lot to me."

14. Corey Brewer, SG/SF

In the past, Brewer intrigued with his physical tools, fully revved motor and defensive tenacity. Now, he's a quickly declining 31-year-old with myriad offensive problems.

He's a non-shooter in every sense. He has spent 10 seasons in the NBA and finished just two of them with a 30-plus three-point percentage. During each of the last two campaigns, he has posted the lowest player efficiency rating since his rookie year (9.9, then 9.1).

He does bring some defensive value, but he's too much of an offensive liability for that to matter. The Lakers should have better options in their rotation. That said, Brewer will provide fleeting on-court excitement as a capable receiver on Lonzo Ball's look-ahead passes.

13. Thomas Bryant, C

The 6'10" center is a different type of rim-runner. He's not an otherworldly athlete, but with a 7'6" wingspan, he doesn't have to be. He never lacks energy, motors down the court for transition scores and has even flashed some three-point range.

He's a project at both ends, and that's fine. He won't legally drink an adult beverage before his rookie campaign has closed. It will be even longer before his defensive impact mirrors his size. But the Lakers were thinking long term when they brought him onboard, and they'll be careful about seasoning him the right way.

12. Luol Deng, SF/PF

Once an All-Star, two-way wing, Deng has now been reduced to his burdensome deal, which still has three years and $54 million left. Considering he's 32 years old—but he probably feels older after doing Tom Thibodeau duty—and coming off his least efficient season ever, the value of his stock is plummeting even though his cost is (slightly) going up.

That said, he could find himself in Walton's two-deep rotation, since the Lakers aren't exactly swimming in small forwards. Problem is, Deng is more effective as a small-ball power forward now, and L.A. has no need for him there.

11. Josh Hart, SG

Don't be fooled by the nagging injuries—Hart was a safe choice on draft night (acquired from the Utah Jazz). The consensus first-team All-American in 2016-17 doesn't have a ton of upside, but he could be a day-one helper in two areas of need.

"He's an ideal three-and-D player," a scout told Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, "is somewhat athletic, can defend multiple positions and has this toughness, a chip on his shoulder."

Hart hasn't been able to show Lakers fans much, as an ankle injury bothered him at summer league and a hamstring issue popped up at training camp. But he's a good enough defender to carve out a small second-team role.

He's definitely behind Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jordan Clarkson, and we have Tyler Ennis ahead of him, but there's a niche spot with Hart's name on it.

The Regular Reserves

10. Tyler Ennis, PG

The stars aligned for Ennis last season, as his deadline deal to L.A. allowed the 2014 first-rounder to average more minutes, shots and points than he had at his first three NBA stops. The odds appear to be falling in his favor once more, as he and Lonzo Ball are the only natural point guards with guaranteed contracts.

Ennis won't blow anyone away with his scoring or athleticism, but he makes good decisions with the basketball. He also impressed the Lakers with outside shooting (38.9 percent over 22 games) and on-ball defense, two areas that haven't always been considered strengths. Provided those don't regress, he'll be a regular in Walton's rotation again this season.

9. Ivica Zubac, C

You'd think Zubac's stock would be soaring right now. The 20-year-old not only impressed as a rookie, he also showed substantial improvement over the course of the season and nearly doubled his scoring average after the All-Star break (10.0, up from 5.8).

But it's been a strange ride ever since. He disappointed as much as anyone on the Sin City circuit, looking out of sync and problematically slow at summer league. He's also seen the Lakers put a former All-Star in front of him (Brook Lopez) and add two players at his position (Bogut and Bryant).

That doesn't mean Zubac has fallen out of the Lakers' plans, but he'll have to force his way into the action. As a fluid scorer, solid screener and instinctual interior defender, one would think that wouldn't be an issue. If he can leap forward as a pick-and-roll defender, it won't be.

8. Jordan Clarkson, SG

L.A.'s minutes leader from last season, the scoring guard has stagnated since impressing as a rookie. Since he doesn't provide floor spacing (career 33.4 percent from three), playmaking (career 3.4 assists per 36 minutes) or serviceable defense (minus-3.39 defensive real plus-minus, 464th last season), his weaknesses are becoming more prevalent as his strength is being marginalized.

He'll still handle third-guard duties as long as he's a Laker, but his deficiencies have made him expendable. Should L.A. need to increase its cap space next summer, a source told B/R's Eric Pincus the team "is confident it can move Clarkson if needed."

7. Larry Nance Jr., PF

Nance's name isn't mentioned often enough in discussions of the Lakers' future. As the son of a 13-year pro, the younger Nance inherited both hops and hoops smarts. He stays within himself to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. As a result, he's had one of the 10 highest field-goal percentages among forwards since entering the league (52.6, ninth).

The Lakers don't overlook Nance's value. During an appearance on ESPN's First Take, Magic Johnson called Nance "our secret weapon" and "such a fundamentally sound basketball player," per Lakers Nation's Corey Hansford. The executive added that multiple calls have come in for Nance, and each has been rebuffed.

Nance needs to expand his range and could be more assertive on offense—maybe related issues—but he has already lifted his floor to reliable reserve and hasn't approached his ceiling. However, he could have a hard time increasing his workload after L.A.'s frontcourt reshuffling.

6. Kyle Kuzma, PF

Kuzma's whirlwind ride from the Utah Utes to the Lakers has witnessed him rise from draft-night afterthought to indispensable piece of L.A.'s future. Since being the 27th pick—acquired in the Brook Lopez-D'Angelo Russell swap—Kuzma has paced the Lakers in points during the summer league (153 in seven games) and preseason (78 in four).

He's done so while flashing the versatility coveted in all modern forwards. He can play—and of equal importance, defend—multiple positions, handle the ball and create offense for others. He's shooting an eye-popping 42.9 percent as a Laker (skyrocketed from 30.2 percent in college) and putting up points in every imaginable way.

"We've seen the jumper, the nifty at-rim finishes, the ambidextrous hook shots that'd make Magic Johnson proud, the complementary cuts and the athletic dunks," The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor wrote. "Kuzma resembles players like Lamar Odom, Rashard Lewis and Antawn Jamison while also showing some flashes as a go-to scorer."

5. Julius Randle, PF

To extend or not to extend Julius Randle isn't the question. There are both economic and basketball reasons to wait.

The more pressing inquiry is where Randle fits in the purple and gold's present and future. There aren't many players with his combination of size and skill. To wit, he was one of only nine players to average at least 13 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2015-16, and he's one of just 10 standing 6'9" or taller to tally those marks in any of the past five seasons.

He's also a potentially pliable weapon at the defensive end. While comparisons to Golden State Warriors All-Star Draymond Green are made mostly on the offensive end, Randle has flashed similar switching ability to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

But Randle isn't a shot-blocker (career 0.4 per game). In fact, he provided the least resistance at the rim of any high-volume big last season (59.8 percent shooting allowed, worst among players defending at least five such shots per game).

And even though he's a good playmaker for his position, consistent scoring could be hard to come by.

"Randle's jumper is still rushed, and he still hasn't figured out that he should shoot when open rather than simply driving into bad positions," Forum Blue & Gold's Darius Soriano wrote. "Plus, he's gotten by on his strength and athleticism for so long; the habits he has now may indeed be permanent—or at least so ingrained he'll fall back on them too often."

4. Brook Lopez, C

It's easy to paint Lopez as a means to an end for the Lakers. Acquiring him while dumping Timofey Mozgov meant ditching a three-year, $48 million commitment to take on only an expiring $22.6 million one.

But if Lopez's salary was his biggest contribution to the franchise, he wouldn't find himself in the No. 4 slot. That designation speaks to his two-way talents.

The former All-Star has the ability to lead this team in scoring—by a wide margin. L.A. completed its last campaign being paced in points by Russell's 15.6. Lopez hasn't averaged fewer than 17.2 since his rookie year of 2008-09, and he's been a 20-plus point scorer in three of the last four seasons.

Even if he doesn't carry the offensive torch—the Lakers rightfully want their prized prospects to lead—Lopez can be an offensive safety valve. He can create his own offense around the basket, and his recent addition of a three ball (134 makes at a 34.6 percent clip last season) will widen L.A.'s passing, driving and cutting lanes.

"He spaces the floor, gets rebounds, and when our offense is stagnant we know we can throw it down to him and he can go get a bucket down there," Kuzma said, per Lakers.com's Joey Ramirez.

Lopez will also help shore up the back line defensively. While he's neither an elite rim-protector nor the fleetest of foot, he has averaged at least two rejections per 36 minutes during four of the last five campaigns.

If he were younger (29) and a clearer part of the Lakers' future plans, he might rank even higher. But he'll attack some of this team's biggest problems, even if he proves only a short-term rental.

3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG

For the Lakers to fulfill their vision of running and gunning like the old days, they needed to address two specific areas this offseason—that dreadful defense and a pedestrian perimeter attack (19th in three-point makes, 22nd in percentage).

Enter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a player who might have the three-and-D chops they desired.

"When Magic and I were really thinking about the architecture around this team and how we wanted to build it, the two of us could not tailor stitch more of a perfect [shooting] guard," general manager Rob Pelinka said, per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.

It's not quite that simple, though. Caldwell-Pope isn't a quick fix; only the idea of what he could be is.

He's been billed as a knockdown shooter since coming out of college, but his numbers haven't lived up to the hype. He has just one season of 35 percent shooting and an underwhelming 33.4 percent career mark. The defensive end tells a similar story. While he can be a pesky backcourt stopper, he was just 57th among shooting guards with a minus-1.31 defensive real plus-minus last season.

He's only 24 years old, though—about a month younger than Nance—and he's never played with a passer like Ball. He's also physically equipped to be a shutdown defender, so he's not lacking for growth potential.

He's an easier fit into the Lakers' future than Lopez (even though KCP is also only under contract for this year), and his strengths could be more beneficial than Randle's. But Caldwell-Pope can't match the ceilings or the importance of the two guys ahead.

2. Brandon Ingram, SF

Patience isn't a strength of the Lakers. Raise as many championship banners as they have, and there's an inevitable impulse to race toward the next.

That can make for a tricky environment to grow a prospect like Ingram. Despite having otherworldly natural gifts, he entered the league raw as sushi and string-bean skinny. He's been rushing to catch up with his hype ever since, and the results haven't been pretty—40.2 percent shooting as a rookie, 26.7 percent this preseason.

"He wants to be great so bad and he's worked so hard that he wants to show everyone how good he is," Walton said, per Ganguli. "I think because of that he's had some possessions where he definitely is trying to do too much."

Super-sized internal expectations probably aren't helping; however, they're sky-high for a reason. He could be a nightmare matchup. Between his 7'3" wingspan, smooth shooting mechanics and comfort creating offense, he could one day be too big for wings to cover and too skilled for bigs to handle.

And he's not the project he was this time last year. His game grew over the course of last season, and he added confidence and some bulk during the summer.

He should be a popular player on breakout watch lists, and the opportunity is there for a sizable sophomore leap. That guarantees nothing, of course, but optimism around the No. 2 pick hasn't diminished one bit.

He might have more upside than anyone on the roster. However, our top-ranked Laker edges him in importance due to the fact he's responsible for establishing the franchise's new identity.

1. Lonzo Ball, PG

Not to oversell the exhibition exploits of a 19-year-old, but Lonzo Ball did the impossible in Las Vegas—he outperformed his hype.

All eyes were on the No. 2 pick—credit his father's marketing genius for that—and the pressure seemed to bring out his best. While his shot never came around (38.2 percent overall, 23.8 outside), his all-around game more than picked up the slack. He triple-doubled twice, had double-digit assists four times and averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.

"Elite facilitator/passer, makes everyone better," a scout told ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "If you just do what you're supposed to do, he will get you the ball right on time. He's pretty incredible. ... He reminds me of [Jason] Kidd."

The last part of that quote should feel more hyperbolic. Ball has yet to play an NBA game; Kidd holds top-10 all-time NBA marks in assists (second), steals (second) and threes (eighth). 

But Ball makes the comparison believable with his photographic memory of his teammates' positioning, instinctive reads and dynamic transition attacks. He's the reason the Lakers are expected to keep climbing in pace (sixth last season) and launch forward in passing (26th in assist percentage, 20th in passes per game).

Ball may never be a scoring star. As long as the rest of his talents translate, though, he won't have to.

The Lakers need him to initiate their preferred playing style so he can elevate his current teammates and potentially help attract marquee future ones. His significance alone puts him in the No. 1 spot, and his skills could make him one of their most productive players already this season.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball Reference, NBA.com or ESPN.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.