– Improved three-point shooting
With the two trades that the Lakers made before the deadline, they clearly had improving three-point shooting in mind. Both Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala will help a team that has struggled to space the floor effectively this season.
On the Pistons, Bullock has emerged as a very strong three-point shooter, as he shot just under 45 percent from deep last season, and he is shooting 38.8 percent this season. Muscala will give the Lakers a big man that can also stretch the floor, as he is shooting just under 35 percent from three-point range this season.
Coming into the season, one of the knocks on the Lakers was their lack of shooting to surround LeBron. James has been very successful in his career with shooters around him, and the Lakers didn’t provide him with that.
Prior to the deadline, the Lakers clearly changed their mind on having some more shooters around James. The additions of Bullock and Muscala certainly improves the Lakers’ ability to shoot the ball.
The Lakers are the 2nd worst three-point shooting team in the league, with only the Phoenix Suns being worse. The teams in the bottom five in that category are some of the worst in the league, and the Lakers certainly needed to improve in that area.