Why the Los Angeles Lakers offense can be even better

2. The Los Angeles Lakers can incorporate the new guys more

The Lakers have had little time to practice this season. As a result, the new players have had to accustom themselves to new teammates and a new system on the fly. There is room for improvement for the contributions of all:

• Montrezl Harrell

With the Clippers, he and Lou Williams formed a devastating and nearly unstoppable pick and roll combination. So far the Lakers have run very few of those plays with him.

Harrell should be a natural pick and roll partner for players like LeBron James, Schroder, Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker. Once the team can add this play to its arsenal, they should be able to pick up some easy baskets every game.

• Dennis Schroder

His offense has been uneven so far, primarily because he is unaccustomed and to some degree unsuitable for standing around and watching James or Davis operate.

Let’s face it, at the beginning of a game, the primary function of the Lakers’ offense is to get the ball to AD and let him do his thing. The ideal lineup would surround him with good three-point shooters to punish the defense if they double-team him.

Schroder has never been a great catch-and-shoot guy, certainly not as good as other Lakers, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. His real strength is creating shots for himself by using his speed and finishing ability to drive to the hoop or pull up for jumpers off the dribble. That’s why his best offensive streaks have occurred later in games, especially when either AD or LeBron is resting.

Schroder has started every game so far. His biggest impact in the early part of games has been his strong defensive play against opposing point guards. At some point Vogel might experiment with bringing him off the bench for instant offense and put a stronger shooter into the starting lineup. He also might alter his substitution pattern a bit to take advantage of what Dennis does best.

But even if things remain status quo, the more familiar Schroder gets to playing with this set of teammates, the more effective he should become offensively.

• Marc Gasol

He has borne the brunt of criticism from fans who fail to understand the positive impact he’s had on the team. Gasol does not depend on athleticism, jumping ability or speed, and will not be a big scorer. Rather, he knows how to play the game and is a far better position defender than many people realize.

His biggest offensive contribution so far is that he is a legitimate three-point threat. As a result, his defender must leave the paint area to guard him. This has created clear driving lanes to the hoop for LeBron, Schroder, Caruso and others.

That stands in huge contrast to last year’s centers, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. Because their shooting range didn’t extend beyond five feet, the Lakers couldn’t space the floor very well when they were in the lineup. As a result, the paint area was often clogged with defenders.

But so far this season the Lakers haven’t capitalized enough on Gasol’s outstanding passing ability, which is probably his best offensive attribute. There are at least two primary ways to take advantage of it.

First, they could run a “high-low”, with Gasol receiving the ball at the top of the key and Davis flashing into the paint for a quick pass while the other three teammates spread the court. That would give AD great position one-on-one against a defender.

The second way is for the Lakers to set more off-the-ball screens to free up cutters to the hoop for layups off a Gasol assist. They’ve done that a little bit with LeBron, but similar plays can be set up for guys like KCP and Schroder.

By utilizing Gasol more as a passer, the Lakers’ offense can get easy hoops.

• Wes Matthews

Yes, the last few games Vogel has reduced his rotation from 10 or 11 players to just nine, and Matthews hasn’t left the bench. But the veteran will emerge at some point, and he can help the Lakers at both ends of the court.

Matthews has been a starter for most of the past 10 NBA seasons, acquiring a deserved reputation as a hard-nosed “three and D” guy. But he seems to have had some difficulty acclimating himself to a reserve role.

His overall three-point percentage with the Lakers, 36%, isn’t far off his career 38% mark. But his outside shot has been far streakier this season than it normally is.

At age 34, although his best days may be behind him, he is still a savvy veteran who can contribute to a contending team. Vogel fully understands that and will almost certainly get him back into action at some point.

(To some degree the same holds true for Markieff Morris, who has also been relegated to the bench when the rotation was shortened. But Morris will also get his opportunity later, either when injury strikes or when a team plays more small ball).

• Talen Horton-Tucker

The 2019 second-round pick spent virtually all of the 2019-20 season in the G League. So for practical purposes, this is his rookie year.

The new fan favorite has displayed an impressive array of talent and has earned his increased playing time. He is already an outstanding defender, which of course Vogel highly values.

But before we go overboard too soon, let’s remember that this is his first real NBA season, and he is still prone to rookie mistakes. In particular, he drives into traffic too much, often resulting in a turnover or a highly contested shot attempt.

THT has shown that he is learning as the season progresses. One of his recent heads-up plays went largely unnoticed. In the win against Atlanta, in the fourth quarter, James twirled the ball around his body before making a pass to a wide-open Kuzma in the corner for an important three-pointer. But what was overlooked was the reason that Kuz was so open: it was because of the solid off-ball screen set by THT.

To get to the next level, Horton-Tucker needs to develop a more consistent outside shot and to be able to use his left hand on drives to the hoop instead of always attempting right-handed reverse shots.

He has the basic ability that can’t be taught and should only get better with experience. But it is also possible that he’ll hit the “rookie wall” at some point because of the longer NBA season. Still, we can expect him to positively impact the offense going forward this season. And longer-term he should be an outstanding player

The hope for all Lakers fans is that Pelinka re-signs THT, who will be a restricted free agent. He will be subject to the “Arenas Provision”, which limits how much money other teams can offer him in the first year. But another team can include a big raise between years two and three that the Lakers may have trouble matching. But that’s a problem for next season, not now.