Thus far this season, the Los Angeles Lakers are 0-3, and there’s no doubt that the team has struggled offensively. One of the biggest issues that are causing those issues on the offensive side of the ball is the lack of 3PT shooting throughout the roster.
There is no doubt that the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers are a poor 3PT shooting team. This doesn’t extend to just the role players, either. The Los Angeles Lakers’ stars have struggled from beyond the 3PT line, with LeBron James going 7-27, Russell Westbrook going 1-12, and Anthony Davis going 2-10 thus far over the course of the season. Things aren’t much better for them on a team-wide scale, as the Los Angeles Lakers currently have the lowest 3PT percentage in the NBA, while also taking a large number of 3PT attempts.
Though the Los Angeles Lakers are obviously a better team on the defensive end this year, there’s no doubt that they could have used some of the 3PT shooters that they had on their roster last season. A recent Instagram post by Basketball Forever showed that the Los Angeles Lakers lost six key 3PT shooters from last season. The list included Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk (Note: Kent Bazemore’s 36% is his career 3PT percentage).
There is no doubt that this is a tough pill for the Los Angeles Lakers to swallow. On one hand, their defense has clearly improved due to them getting rid of shooters who can’t defend. On the other hand, their offense has clearly cratered due to the lack of shooting currently on the roster.
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers figure out a solution to their 3PT shooting problem sooner rather than later. There is no doubt that this is something that the team needs to address, and perhaps we’ll see them make a move in the future.
Trading Russell Westbrook Or Bringing Him Off The Bench Could Be A Solution
The most prominent non-shooter on the Los Angeles Lakers is obviously Russell Westbrook. There’s no doubt that he is inefficient from beyond the arc, but on top of that, he often takes ill-advised perimeter jumpers as well, rather than passing those up for more favorable looks.
A solution could potentially involve benching Russell Westbrook and putting him in a sixth-man role. He is definitely a player that thrives when given more freedom offensively, and he would get that in a bench role.
Another option would involve moving Russell Westbrook to potentially get some shooters in return. That would obviously improve the team’s offense. As of right now, though, the Los Angeles Lakers are seeing if Russell Westbrook can improve his performance with the team, and hopefully, he is able to do so before the trade deadline.
