While the Lakers were able to get bigger, deeper, and better this offseason, the more important question is did they do enough to upgrade their league worst 3-point shooting to win their league best 18th NBA championship?
At last season’s trade deadline, the Lakers were averaging a league worst 10.5 made threes per game and shooting an NBA 25th worst 34.6% from deep. That’s when Rob Pelinka started his makeover of the Lakers’ roster.
He added Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt at deadline and Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Maxwell Lewis this offseason.
Rob Pelinka was universally praised for the Lakers’ outstanding offseason as they continued building a team better tailored to fit 30-year old Anthony Davis’ championship window rather 38-year old LeBron James’ timeline. Rumors about the Lakers wanting to start Hayes at the five, Davis at the four, and James at the three have only exacerbated concern over the team’s spacing problems and raised more questions about their 3-point shooting.
The Lakers know the key to winning with LeBron James is surrounding him with elite 3-point shooters and defenders. The challenge is those are the exact same players every team in the league needs and is looking for.
The Lakers showed they could overcome poor 3-point shooting by winning the points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws battles. They have a legit shot this season to turn 3-point shooting from a disadvantage to an advantage.
So let’s look at whether Rob Pelinka and the Lakers did enough at the trade deadline and this offseason to upgrade their 3-point shooting performance to give them a legitimate chance to win their 18th NBA championship.
What Do The Numbers Say?
The numbers say the Lakers dramatically improved their 3-point shooting with savvy moves at last year’s trade deadline and may have done same this offseason with smart signings of their own and other team’s free agents.
At last season’s trade deadline, the Lakers’ 10.5 made threes per game ranked a dead last 30 of 30, their 31.2 attempted threes per game ranked a poor 26 of 30, and their 34.6% three-point percentage a dismal 25 of 30.
After the deadline, the Lakers addition of Russell, Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Hachimura and emergence of Reaves saw the Lakers jump to a 19th best 11.5 threes per game and a 16th best 36.1% from deep for those 26 games.
The above chart shows 3-point shooting stats of the Lakers 11 veterans for last year as well as projections for next year. While reasonable estimates, the numbers project the Lakers’ 3-point shooting will take another jump.
Th projection is the Lakers jump to 15 made threes on more than 40 attempts per game, which would put them in top-five in 3-point makes and takes. The resulting 37.1% would rank in lower half of the top-ten.
Heading into the next season, the Lakers have four players who are proven near 40% 3-point shooters in Reaves, Russell, Christie, and Prince plus two players who just shot over 40% in the playoffs in Hachimura and Vincent. That’s a solid core of six high percentage shooters who should transform the Lakers’ offense though they‘ll still need LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jaxson Hayes to display better 3-point shot selection and accuracy.
While likely a best case scenario, the Lakers have a realistic chance to finish next season as one of the top-ten 3-point shooting teams in the league, making and taking 50% more threes than they did last season.
What Else Can The Lakers Do?
The most important thing the Lakers can do now to upgrade their 3-point shooting is use their remaining two roster spots on stretch bigs to balance their roster’s 3-point shooting. Signing Christian Wood should be priority.
Right now, the Lakers’ 3-point shooting strength is concentrated in their guards and small forwards. None of their front court players — Hachimura, Vanderbilt, James, Davis, or Hayes — are proven quality 3-point shooters. That’s why Christian Wood is such an attractive 14th player for the Lakers to add to their current roster. Wood’s a career 37.9 three-point shooter on 3.5 attempts per game who’s shot better than 37.4% for four straight seasons.
Adding Wood would also give the Lakers insurance against Anthony Davis missing games due to injuries, especially on the offensive end where L.A. does not have a center who can impact the game offensively if AD is out. Frankly, I think adding a player like Wood makes so much sense the Lakers should consider signing-and-trading for him to obtain his Bird rights and to be able to keep him long-term on a team friendly deal if he worked out.
The Lakers’ coaching staff’s biggest offseason challenge is going to be fixing the broken 3-point shooting strokes of power forwards LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, and center Jaxson Hayes.
The Lakers are hopeful Rui Hachimura, who shot a league best 48.7% from deep on 2.4 three-point attempts per game in last season’s playoffs can turn into a consistent near 40% 3-point shooter regular season and playoffs.
The Lakers need to add one and preferably two stretch bigs to their roster so they can create realistic 5-player lineups with legitimate 3-point gravity. Lakers need stretch versions at both power forward and center positions.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1690481858260451328
The numbers say the Lakers dramatically improved their 3-point shooting with savvy moves at last year’s trade deadline and may have done same this offseason with smart signings of their own and other team’s free agents.
At last season’s trade deadline, the Lakers’ 10.5 made threes per game ranked a dead last 30 of 30, their 31.2 attempted threes per game ranked a poor 26 of 30, and their 34.6% three-point percentage a dismal 25 of 30.
After the deadline, the Lakers addition of Russell, Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Hachimura and emergence of Reaves saw the Lakers jump to a 19th best 11.5 threes per game and a 16th best 36.1% from deep for those 26 games.
The above chart shows 3-point shooting stats of the Lakers 11 veterans for last year as well as projections for next year. While reasonable estimates, the numbers project the Lakers’ 3-point shooting will take another jump.
Th projection is the Lakers jump to 15 made threes on more than 40 attempts per game, which would put them in top-five in 3-point makes and takes. The resulting 37.1% would rank in lower half of the top-ten.
Heading into the next season, the Lakers have four players who are proven near 40% 3-point shooters in Reaves, Russell, Christie, and Prince plus two players who just shot over 40% in the playoffs in Hachimura and Vincent. That’s a solid core of six high percentage shooters who should transform the Lakers’ offense though they‘ll still need LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jaxson Hayes to display better 3-point shot selection and accuracy.
While likely a best case scenario, the Lakers have a realistic chance to finish next season as one of the top-ten 3-point shooting teams in the league, making and taking 50% more threes than they did last season.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1690482090176057344
The most important thing the Lakers can do now to upgrade their 3-point shooting is use their remaining two roster spots on stretch bigs to balance their roster’s 3-point shooting. Signing Christian Wood should be priority.
Right now, the Lakers’ 3-point shooting strength is concentrated in their guards and small forwards. None of their front court players — Hachimura, Vanderbilt, James, Davis, or Hayes — are proven quality 3-point shooters. That’s why Christian Wood is such an attractive 14th player for the Lakers to add to their current roster. Wood’s a career 37.9 three-point shooter on 3.5 attempts per game who’s shot better than 37.4% for four straight seasons.
Adding Wood would also give the Lakers insurance against Anthony Davis missing games due to injuries, especially on the offensive end where L.A. does not have a center who can impact the game offensively if AD is out. Frankly, I think adding a player like Wood makes so much sense the Lakers should consider signing-and-trading for him to obtain his Bird rights and to be able to keep him long-term on a team friendly deal if he worked out.
The Lakers’ coaching staff’s biggest offseason challenge is going to be fixing the broken 3-point shooting strokes of power forwards LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, and center Jaxson Hayes. The Lakers are hopeful Rui Hachimura, who shot a league best 48.7% from deep on 2.4 three-point attempts per game in last season’s playoffs can turn into a consistent near 40% 3-point shooter regular season and playoffs.
The Lakers need to add one and preferably two stretch bigs to their roster so they can create realistic 5-player lineups with legitimate 3-point gravity. Lakers need stretch versions at both power forward and center positions.
I think we will be fine. Our biggest issues last year was LeBron taking 7 a game and Russ taking 4. Russ is gone, replaced by DLO and Vincent. Hopefully LeBron will take either fewer 3’s or shoot a better percentage. I fully expect Rui to shoot at least in the high 30’s. Not only did he shoot 49% in the playoffs but he has actually had a 44% season as well. Prince is a 38% 3 point shooter and plays both forward positions. I expect Austin to at least shoot the 39% he shot last year. When you consider he struggled like the rest of the team early that 44% he shot in the playoffs is moe in line with what he did most of the season.
Unless the Lakers shooting ‘tax’ is real, I agree we should be fine. I’m hoping we can even have a positive 3-point differential. That would be cool to see. Lakers embracing 3-point shot.