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Los Angeles Lakers: How David Nwaba will increase role year two

By Lloyd Tunstill

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 17: David Nwaba #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers during warm up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 17, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 17: David Nwaba #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers during warm up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 17, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers: How David Nwaba will increase role year two
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 11: David Nwaba #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers scores a basket against Cheick Diallo #13 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of the basketball game at Staples Center April 11, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Improved Shooting

Towards the end of last season, Luke Walton experimented with D’Angelo Russell switching to shooting guard. Russell’s numbers sky-rocketed in the final eight games of the season to 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per 36 minutes. Russell also managed to improve his three-point shooting during this stretch, knocking down 2.7 per game.

Now, with Russell’s departure, Nwaba has the opportunity to increase his role offensively with his hometown team. However, with the evolution of basketball, shooting is placed at a premium.

Nwaba can’t shoot. In fact, per a report by Silver Screen & Roll’s Harrison Faigen, Nwaba’s journeyman D-League teammate Ivica Zubac attempted almost as many 3-pointers in a third of as many games.

"Nwaba took just five 3-pointers over his 20 games with the Lakers. He didn’t fire away much more in the D-League, taking only 16 threes (and making four) in 40 games with the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders."

Imagine that. As fans, we are witnessing a team with two “centers” (Zubac and Lopez) that can shoot 3’s better than the “shooting guard”. Despite how shocking that seems, the really depressing news is that I couldn’t notice any improvements in his 3-point shooting. Watch this sneak peek video by Lakers Nation.

You can see that Nwaba is at the upper left wing. Notice how he is attempting to practice his form during the middle of his first set of shots. Nwaba looks uncomfortable shooting from that distance, like a kid outside at 10 pm knowing that their curfew was at 9 PM. The three point line for Nwaba is not a safe place to hang out.

The silver lining in all of this is hope. Several players have enhanced their careers by developing a shot, and even some, worked to alleviate a bad name. For example, they used to call Hall of Famer Jason Kidd “Ason Kidd” because he didn’t have a “J”.

Hopefully, Nwaba will use players’ past experiences to motivate him to develop a shot. It will be the impending factor to the name he is able to create and the amount of time he will have on the court.

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