The Los Angeles Lakers have recently been defeated by the Golden State Warriors, 109-123. There is no doubt that this wasn’t the start to the season that they wanted, and it is clear that the Los Angeles Lakers have a lot to work on if they are to make some noise in the Western Conference this season.
LeBron James managed to put up a double-double during the game, but unfortunately, that was not enough to lift the Los Angeles Lakers over the defending champions.
A lot of NBA fans reacted to this loss from the Los Angeles Lakers, with many of them criticizing the team for their abysmal performance. There is no doubt that a lot of Lakers fans in particular were disappointed with this performance, and for good reason.
1st of 82 in the books. pic.twitter.com/NbmOaV6MJt
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 19, 2022
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers improve over the course of the season. They cannot have too many performances like this if they’re serious about making it back to the playoffs, and potentially making a deep run in the postseason.
The good news is, this is only one game. The Los Angeles Lakers still have time to improve on a lot of their weaknesses. If they manage to get better as a team, then this opening night will likely be forgotten quickly.
The Los Angeles Lakers Need To Add Shooting
One of the most noticeable things about the Los Angeles Lakers this season is their relative lack of shooting. Based on this chart of their 3PT percentages from the 2020-21 season, the Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to add a 3PT shooter to have a functional offense.
1. Kendrick Nunn – 38.1% (2020-21 NBA Season)*
2. LeBron James – 35.9%
3. Dennis Schroder – 34.4%
4. Patrick Beverley – 34.3%
5. Juan Toscano-Anderson – 32.2%
6. Austin Reaves – 31.7%
7. Lonnie Walker IV – 31.4%
8. Russell Westbrook – 29.8%
9. Thomas Bryant – 28.6%
10. Anthony Davis – 18.6%
There is no doubt that an elite 3PT shooter (or multiple) would give LeBron James and Anthony Davis more room to operate on the court. Generally, both James and Davis work well with 3PT shooting role players who can punish teams from the perimeter.
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers add some 3PT shooting via free agency or trade. There are definitely some solid shooters on the free agent market such as Carmelo Anthony, and we’ll see what moves the Los Angeles Lakers make to improve their team in the future.
