The Los Angeles Lakers need to break the “norm”.
I’m so sick and tired of seeing and hearing how the NBA is just a shooter’s league. They do this with the NFL too as it has become just a passing league. Yet, we have seen that when teams can run the ball, it sets up the pass properly.
The same goes for the NBA when it comes to pounding the ball inside. This will set up the deep shot. It has been this way for some time as some things just really do not change.
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the new style of shooting 10,000 three-point shots per game. It gets to be quite ridiculous at times as many teams will keep doing this even if they are shooting in the lower percentile. The Los Angeles Lakers are 21st in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage with 35.4%.
The Lakers need to pound the ball inside and go to the basket more. We know LeBron James is an unstoppable force when he goes to the basket. Montrezl Harrell is by far their best interior force and therefore they must continue to get the ball inside to him, especially in the absence of Anthony Davis.
MUST-READ: 5 things the Lakers must improve on with Anthony Davis out
This is something they lack with Marc Gasol who (for some strange reason) seems to no longer possess any interior game whatsoever, limiting the team and being a liability.
The Lakers do have themselves very good shooters, but the strength of this team will always be the interior game or the mid-range shots. Players like Kyle Kuzma, who can slash to the basket well, must continue to pound the ball inside and hopefully draw fouls and go to the line.
Recent shooting performances by the Los Angeles Lakers:
In a game in which they should have won against the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers shot 34.1% from three-point range as they went 15-44. That sure is a lot of total shots and a lot of misses. Take away ten of those missed shots and perhaps they could have been successful two-point baskets. Who knows?
Against the Miami Heat, again in a game they should have won, they shot 28.9% from three-point range as they went 13-45. Once again, a lot of misses and a lot of shots. What I wonder is, at what point does this change?
This same thing we saw against the loss to the Brooklyn Nets where the Lakers shot 26.7% as they went 8-30. Perhaps not as many shots as the last two but a lot of misses.
Let’s talk facts here, we all know that they have the shooters. That is obvious. However, there must be a slight change in the offensive system that focuses more on the interior game. It would also help them if they were able to get to the foul line more and make more of their foul shots!
To be honest, no player with as much talent as these NBA players have, and making the insane amount of money they do should miss foul shots. They’re free points.
There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers’ success depends on the health of Anthony Davis but with him out they must find another way to get inside. Hopefully, they make a move to gain another interior player because Gasol is not doing it.