Defense, not offense, is the problem for the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Phoenix suns
The Los Angeles Lakers will be just fine on offense against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers had several open looks but could not hit them.
Some math: the Lakers lost by nine points. They shot 7-26 (27%) from the three-point line. If the Lakers had shot 10-26 (38%) instead, the game would have gone into overtime.
Their best three-point shooter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, shot 1-7 from the three-point range. KCP would have shot 3-7 if he had shot at his normal shooting percentage (he is the only Laker to shoot above 40% from three-point range this season).
Not to mention they missed a staggering 11 free-throws, only shooting 17-28 (62%). If they had shot their normal free-throw percentage on the road (73.2%), that would have been 4 extra points just from free-throws alone!
That is an overtly simplistic explanation of the Lakers’ struggles – but with LeBron James and Anthony Davis dominating the team’s offense, the Lakers need them to either score over 25 points each or hope the role players are hitting three-pointers at an uncharacteristically high rate.
The Los Angeles Lakers offense is what it is at this point.
LeBron’s ankle injury takes out about half of what the Lakers can normally do. AD may as well be injured if he is not assertive in the post.
Looking back on it, it is quite remarkable the Lakers only lost by nine points despite their horrific offensive performance (Anthony Davis scored 13 points!) and the countless missed three-pointers and free throws by literally everyone.
Honestly, I would not panic over Game 1’s loss. I doubt AD will score 13 points again in any of the remaining games. He will be assertive and will look to dominate an overmatched Suns front line.
If I’m wrong, then it’s a wrap on the Lakers season. The Lakers are doomed if neither LeBron James nor Anthony Davis dominates the game. The so-called role players only need to hit three-point shots at a league-average rate (around 35%) if LeBron and AD do their part.
The offense will ultimately be fine.
But what happened to the Lakers’ defense?
The Suns’ players all had career-best days at the Lakers expense:
- Devin Booker scoring 34 points in 45 minutes!
- Deandre Ayton with 21 points and 16 boards!
- Chris Paul pulled a Willis Reed on his way to 8 assists!
If this were a 140-135 type game, then I would understand why Booker and Ayton would off for monster games… but neither team broke 100 points. Booker and Ayton had these stat lines even though the game was so slow-paced that it belonged in the 1990s.
So what must change?