– Improve three-point shooting
Coming into the season, one of the main concerns for the Lakers was their three-point shooting. Three-point shooting was an issue for the Lakers last season, and they didn’t do a whole lot over the summer to improve in that area.
Due to the addition of LeBron James, many believed that the Lakers would try to surround him with shooters. However, that was not the case. James has had a lot of success in his career by driving the basketball, getting attention in the paint, and kicking it out to open shooters.
At the trade deadline, the Lakers did add two shooters in Mike Muscala and Reggie Bullock. Both are capable of stretching the floor for the Lakers, and should be welcomed additions for the rest of the season.
The Lakers have been shooting the ball better from beyond the arc of late, as they are now up to 33.9 percent from deep on the season. This will hopefully be a trend that continues for them, as you have to be an effective three-point shooting team in the NBA nowadays.
After a strong showing in the Rising Stars Game, Kyle Kuzma will be one player to watch from beyond the arc. He hasn’t been as sharp as last season, but he has shown signs that he might be heating up. If he gets hot from deep, that will help the Lakers’ three-point shooting percentage immensely.