The Los Angeles Lakers are currently stuck in a weird position. On paper, they have a team that features big names such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Naturally, fans expected the Big 3 to lead the Lakers to great heights. But they failed to do so last season, as the Purple and Gold ended up missing the playoffs.
The fanbase was hurt, but they let it go because injuries derailed the Lakers’ season as well. However, fans expected the Lakers to make a comeback in the 2022-23 NBA season. Unfortunately, the Purple and Gold are currently 0-4 and have the worst offense in the league.
A huge contributor to the Lakers’ poor offense this season has been their underwhelming three-point shooting. Looking at the Lakers’ three-point shots breakdown, the numbers are certainly concerning. Well, if you thought that was the end of the Lakers’ troubles, we have got some bad news for you.
NBA Expert Reveals Another Concerning Analysis For The Los Angeles Lakers
Being able to shoot efficiently in today’s NBA is arguably one of the most important things. ESPN expert Kirk Goldsberry recently shared an Instagram post where he shared the names of the five least efficient shooters in the NBA over the last five seasons.
Over the last 5+ NBA seasons, exactly 200 players have taken at least 1,000 jump shots. Of that enormous group, Russell Westbrook ranks last in efficiency and Anthony Davis is not far behind.
One of the big reasons the Lakers currently have the least efficient offense in the NBA is they can’t shoot the ball – that issue starts with 2 of their 3 big superstars, but it doesn’t end there.
Any team designed around a core that includes LeBron, Westbrook, and Davis could work if it had shooting in the rest of the rotation – but that has not happened in LA.
The rest of the rotation also fails to include any legitimate sharpshooters. When the Lakers won it all two years ago their rotation included both Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – two prototypical 3-and-D players; however, the Lakers leadership traded both of them and have also failed to replace their shooting and spacing.
Russell Westbrook leads the list, and Anthony Davis is not far behind. It’s truly concerning for the Lakers to see two players from their starting five on the list. But what can they do to improve? Well, how about trying to trade for a bunch of shooters in exchange for Russell Westbrook?
Currently, that seems like the best option for the Lakers. Moreover, their cornerstone player LeBron James has already seemingly posted a cryptic message about being taken for granted by the Lakers. If the Lakers want to succeed in the NBA right now, they need to provide James with a good supporting cast that features excellent shooters.
