Lake Show Life
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Lakers: Current Roster Should Be More Exciting Than It Is

By Anthony Yassa

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While this Laker team does not look like a powerhouse on paper, it does look like it should be a fun team to watch.

With expert play-makers in Marcelo Huertas and D’Angelo Russell, coupled with athletic finishers like Tarik Black, Larry Nance Jr., and even Jordan Clarkson, this Lakers team should be fast, ferocious, and entertaining. Except they’re not.

So far this season the Lakers have been anything but exciting to watch. With slowly developing offensive sets that more often than not end up with long jumpers, not even the trigger-happy ways of Nick Young and Lou Williams can make the Lakers fun. When Swaggy-P can’t make something fun, there is definitely a problem.

So what’s wrong with the Lakers? It starts with their completely broken offense.

In a typical play the Lakers take the ball out of the best play maker’s hands, usually allowing a big or wing to hold the ball for a large portion of the shot clock. Little motion occurs as the Lakers swing the ball on the outside of the three-point line, before trying to force the ball into the post or firing up a contested jumper. The Lakers also rely heavily on off-ball screens, which result in a lot of catch and shoot opportunities, but little actual production.

This play is a good example of the issues with the Lakers offense. When Russell brings the ball up, he immediately gives it up to Randle, who is isolated behind the three point-line. The ball is then swung around, before Bryant shoots a well-contested jumper that misses. In this play the Lakers don’t set any on-ball screens, and they allow their play-makers to be neutralized by effectively taking them out of the play.

An offense this stagnant is completely indefensible with a roster loaded with young athletes.

Another issue that can be seen on this play is the lack of penetration by the Lakers offense. When Kobe takes his shot, literally every defender is closer to the basket than the Laker they are guarding, with the Lakers simply forming a ring around them.

This not only hurts their chances of getting a good look, it also makes it nearly impossible for the Lakers to secure an offensive rebound. An offense this stagnant is completely indefensible with a roster loaded with young athletes.

The biggest problem with this offense is the fact that it prevents point guards like Russell, Huertas, and Clarkson from doing what they do best. The ball is taken out of their hands early on, with very infrequent opportunities for the guards to penetrate the defense. Even stranger is the fact that the Lakers seem to avoid setting screens for Clarkson and Russell, both of whom have shown the ability to thrive in the pick and roll.

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Clarkson can use his phenomenal speed and explosiveness to break down the defense and get to the rim in the pick and roll, while Russell’s passing acumen can be put to good use in a pick and roll with finishers like Black and Nance Jr. In addition to this, both young guards have shown the ability to efficiently make pull up jumpers off a screen, and yet neither of them get the opportunity to take that shot with any regularity.

This is a huge opportunity the Lakers are not taking advantage of, and the integration of more of this type of action could instantly improve the rhythm and flow of the offense.

Taking the ball out of the hands of their point guards has also stunted the growth of their prized young guard, and hindered his ability to build chemistry with his teammates. Despite the fact that he is starting at the point guard for the Lakers, his usage rate is drastically lower than his fellow rookies, which means that he is not being allowed to control the ball nearly enough. This is evidenced by the fact that his teammates still appear surprised by his bullet passes, as his opportunities to make those passes are few and far between.

Another problem with the Lakers so far is the fact that they are not utilizing their speed and athleticism in transition. Despite playing at the seventh highest pace in the league, the Lakers rank 20th in transition points. This is caused by a combination of factors. Most importantly is their inability to consistently secure rebounds on the defensive end, a necessity for transition-oriented teams. They also aren’t forcing their opponents into nearly enough long jumpers, which also plays a big role in allowing teams to get out and run.

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A more aggressive defense will go a long way towards letting the Lakers better use a roster which should excel in transition. Whether that is possible with the Lakers current roster remains to be seen. Players like Nance Jr., World Peace, and Black have shown the ability to spark the defense for at least short spurts.

Last year was a bad one for Laker fans. With the team struggling en route to a team record for losses, the season had few bright spots.

However the high-flying heroics of players like Clarkson and Black provided relief for a fan-base in desperate need of some hope.

While this season has been similar so far in terms of wins, the excitement and passion seem to be missing. Gone are the rim-rattling dunks and exciting fast-breaks, replaced by a team seemingly stuck in place. The offense is stagnant and the defense is passive, with little to be excited about on either side. This needs to change.

Lakers fans know that their team is not going to win a championship this year. However, fans entered the season with a lot to be excited about, and so far they have been let down completely. With so much young talent on the team, there is no excuse for the flat start to the season fans have witnessed. If the Lakers aren’t going to be good, the least they can do is be fun.

Next: Update on Undrafted Rookie Robert Upshaw

What do you think about the Lakers’ stagnant offense? Let us know in the comments below.

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