Aloha,
We lost the game on the 3 point line. It is one of the major themes of this year. Now the chatter is that the Lakers need to trade for shooting. And I whole heartedly agree. But here is my question. Will we utilize shooters if we can land them?
We have not utilized our shooters since LeBron arrived. Shooters need to shoot and the guys we have brought in have not gotten many shots. I remember last year when Ellington would come in, play 8 minutes and not get a shot. It drove me crazy.
Last night we took 28 3’s. Lebron, a 30% 3 point shooter was 3 for 11. Russ who is even worse was 1-6 from 3, including a couple of soul crushing misses in OT. Thats 17 of our 28 taken by two of our worst 3 point shooters. Lebron let the clock run down at the end of regulation and hoisted up a 3 when all we needed was one point.
Now Lonnie is our best 3 point shooter. 39% on 5 shots a game. He was 1-1 last night. Austin is pretty good too. He got two attempts last night.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful while we search for that magical 3 point shooter. We actually create shots for the guys on our roster that can actually make them now? If we do finally bring in a shooter or two, we better find a way to use them.
Michael, I very much agree with your post. Do I remember folks saying L. A. is where shooters come to die? Yes, I do. And it is more than true since the arrival of James. I keep thinking about why that is the case. But you can’t utilize 3-point shooters if you can’t involve them in the offense.
Your point about Ellington is a good example. Somehow, the coaching staff needs to figure this out. But most importantly, we need better shooters on the team. Shooting has become one of our biggest weaknesses.
Figuring out how to get our 3-point shooters involved is one of areas this team needs to focus on besides our defense which seems to hold steady for now.
Throughout the game, I was wondering why Lonnie Walker was not involved and he’s one of our most dependable from the three.
On a side note, I really miss Wenyen Gabriel’s energy. Hope he comes back sooner.
This is why a trade likely changes little. Lebron (and Russ if he’s still here) will pound the air out of the ball and hoist up low-percentage shots. AD is still gonna get his. There won’t be many shots left for whomever comes in. They certainly won’t have the unchecked green light they’ve got on whatever tanking team sends them out.
I have seen very little coaching from Hamm. Should have had Walker in perhaps. Also coach (TELL) LBJ to drive that last shot. Make is a win, foul could be a win and AD put-back could be win. Where’s Vogel? Lol. I keep asking why a 38 yr old should be leading this team. And then again can’t think of another 38 yr old that gives ya 32-9-9? We have 2 starters on this team.
“I have seen very little coaching from Hamm. Should have had Walker in perhaps. Also coach (TELL) LBJ to drive that last shot. Make is a win, foul could be a win and AD put-back could be win.”
Perfectly said, DJ.
: )
Aloha, Michael,
The problem with the Lakers 3-point shooters is none of the players on this roster were brought in because of their 3-point shooting because Rob Pelinka and the front office don’t believe in analytics.
Even Lonnie Walker and Austin Reaves, the only high 30%’s 3-point shooters in the roster did not have good 3-point history and were not recruited for their shooting.
Part of the problem is none of the supposedly good 3-point shooters that we have signed are proven high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters like a Buddy Hield or Boyan Bogdanovic, guys who are top-10 and average between 8 to 12 3PA per game.
Instead, we have a low percentage, high volume 3-point shooter in LeBron James who is 24th in the league in 3PA at 7.5 per game but only 274th in percentage at 31.5%. Other than James, Reaves, and Walker,
the rest of our 3-point shooters are those low volume, low percentage 3-point shooters who average between 0.1 and 3.9 3PA per game whom you can never really count on to contribute consistently.
The one good thing the Lakers did this summer was not sign 3-point shooters who couldn’t contribute defensively or in other areas. As I said, they didn’t even look for shooting because the plan all along was they had to trade Westbrook, Beverley, and Nunn to get that shooting.
What’s the smart move at this point. First, if this team does not get immediate help, they will end up in a hole too deep to get out of. They need shooting and size right now. And there are places where they can get what they need to stay alive.
What we need is to trade for the Pistons’ Bojan Bogdanovic, who would give us a true high volume, high percerntage 3-point shooter who ‘s averaging 43.7% on 6.0 3PA per game, and Saddiq Bey, another wing who can defend and shoot the 4. The offer would be for Beverley, Nunn, and Jones. That would give the Lakers a boost while still keeping one pick and Russ in reserve. Lakers could find a Russ trade that would not cost a pick or may go all in if things look to be working.
At any rate, the Lakers need to make a move and it’s more likely at this point to be the small trade rather than the big trade. This would at least keep the big trade possibility alive and give the team a chance to prove they deserve the investment.