Los Angeles Lakers: Team has to take better care of the basketball

The Los Angeles Lakers need to take better care of the basketball to improve their offensive efficiency.

In order to improve their offensive efficiency, the Los Angeles Lakers must do a better job with respect to valuing the basketball.

Headed into the 2017-2018 season nobody expected the Los Angeles Lakers to be without their fair share of flaws. On account of their overall youth, anticipating utter excellence would have been quite a stretch.

One area the Lakers have been atrocious in thus far is when it comes to turnovers. Through 14 games, the team is averaging a head-throbbing 18.1 per game. Only the Philadelphia 76ers currently average more on a nightly basis.

Such a statistic is by no means pretty to behold. Although the squad is young, indeed, it is reasonable to expect a smaller quantity each game.

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In the time to come, it may very well be necessary that a smaller amount is there at the end of four quarters. While the Lakers’ defense has been encouraging, they have not won a game when they score fewer than 100 points.

With that being said, the silly, unforced mistakes further magnify the other elements of the game. Lakers Nation contributor Harrison Faigen recently transcribed a quote from head coach Luke Walton regarding said mistakes (originally via the L.A. Times). Suffice to say, Walton does not want the turnovers to blossom into an issue all season long.

"“One of the characteristics we want to have is that we value the ball and we don’t turn it over very often, especially on the road,” Walton said. “Unfortunately this road trip has not been good for that. That makes it really hard to win when you turn over that much and obviously throw the free throws on top. You still have your chance, but you’ve got to play a pretty perfect game besides that.”"

Granted the turnovers do not tell the whole story, it is tough to earn victories when sloppiness remains a problem. Committing so many such blunders on a consistent basis results in not as many scoring opportunities.

Since scoring has been a troublesome spot for Los Angeles this season as it is, the turnover totals only create more of a mess.

Thankfully, the Lakers did not exceed their season average versus the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. However, L.A. is fortunate enough to have salvaged the road trip because 16 is still a high total.

One way the team can cut down on the turnovers is to dribble the ball less. In certain sequences, the Lakers revert from team ball to isolation type ball. When this happens, it becomes tremendously easy for the opposing defense to react.

Additionally, the Lakers need to scale back on flat angle passes. While it is not always a piece of cake to determine how a defender will handle a particular player, such passes are not too hard for anyone to read. This tends to lead to steals, resulting in transition opportunities for the foe.

There are other examples that could be pointed out. These are a mere couple cases that have been especially noteworthy (alas) during many games.

Even though he did not exhibit too many specifics, Walton did not mince words earlier this week when he discussed what the Lakers need to improve on.

Luke Walton pregame: "The effort level & energy & the defense that we’re talking about is there, it’s the mental part of the game that needs to catch up."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 14, 2017

It is unfortunate because, yes, the defensive effort has been tangible. However, as soon as L.A. gets a stop sometimes, one of those mental errors is committed.

Due to the fact that few Lakers are seasoned veterans, certain types of turnovers may continue to be seen as the season progresses.

Practice makes perfect, though, as the saying is spun. All this team can do is continue to take things day by day. Sooner or later it is safe to presume that the turnover ratio will slide downhill.

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Experience is vital, so despite the Lakers’ inadequacy in that regard, one can only hope that time will serve as an antidote.