Lake Show Life
Fansided

NBA standings based on free throws: Lakers top the NBA in missed points

By Jason Reed

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 28 LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a free throw during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 28, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Lakers 125-121. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 28 LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a free throw during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 28, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Lakers 125-121. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Many NBA fans and pundits believe that free throws attempted are a great measure of how well a basketball team (or player) is playing. Free throws are some of the surest points you can get in the NBA and the best players get to the line the most often. Just ask Los Angeles Lakers superstar, LeBron James.

Good free-throw shooting does show up in the spring when the games matter the most. It does not matter how great you are, if you cannot knock down free throws in a pivotal playoff game then you are going home.

All that being said, the free-throw numbers from this season would have you believe that the Lakers are atop the NBA standings. That is not the case at all, unfortunately, as LA is barely fighting to get into a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. This is indicative of a larger NBA trend that might surprise most fans.

NBA standings based on free throws attempted:

Western Conference: 

  1. Los Angeles Lakers, 26.2 per game
  2. Dallas Mavericks, 25.8 per game
  3. Sacramento Kings, 25.4 per game
  4. Portland Trail Blazers, 25.3 per game
  5. Houston Rockets, 25.3 per game
  6. New Orleans Pelicans, 24.7 per game
  7. Memphis Grizzlies, 24.4 per game
  8. Los Angeles Clippers, 24.1 per game
  9. Utah Jazz, 24.0 per game
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves, 23.5 per game
  11. Oklahoma City Thunder, 23.3 per game
  12. Denver Nuggets, 22.5 per game
  13. Phoenix Suns, 21.5 per game
  14. San Antonio Spurs, 21.2 per game
  15. Golden State Warriors, 19.9 per game

Eastern Conference: 

  1. Detroit Pistons, 25.9 per game
  2. New York Knicks, 25.6 per game
  3. Philadelphia 76ers, 25.5 per game
  4. Orlando Magic, 25.4 per game
  5. Toronto Raptors, 24.1 per game
  6. Charlotte Hornets, 23.7 per game
  7. Miami Heat, 23.4 per game
  8. Indiana Pacers, 23.3 per game
  9. Milwaukee Bucks, 22.8 per game
  10. Cleveland Cavaliers, 22.8 per game
  11. Chicago Bulls, 22.5 per game
  12. Washington Wizards, 22.5 per game
  13. Boston Celtics, 22.1 per game
  14. Atlanta Hawks, 21.9 per game
  15. Brooklyn Nets, 21.8 per game

As with every NBA statistic, there are some exceptions to the norm. That being said, most of the best teams in the league rank towards the bottom of their conference in free throws attempted per game, while the worse teams are near the top.

So maybe, just maybe, getting to the free throw line the most of any team in the league is not a good thing for the Lakers to strive towards.

The Los Angeles Lakers also cannot make their free throws.

Getting to the line more often than any other team also is bad when said team cannot even make the free throws they are taking. If the Lakers were one of the better free-throw shooting teams in the league it would be one thing. That is not the case at all.

Los Angeles ranks 19th in free-throw percentage at 77.8%. Sure, it is not downright terrible, but considering how often they get to the line it is an issue. If the Lakers were to shoot 81% from the stripe that would be a big difference.

It might not seem like a huge difference between 77.8% and 81%. It amounts to about one extra free throw made per game. But over the course of an 82-game season, it would make a difference.

10 greatest role players in Lakers history. dark. Next

If LA was making one more of its free throws a game then it probably doesn’t lose to the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, or Boston Celtics; three games that ended in frustration for Lakers fans. And if LA won those games, the team would be the sixth seed in the West. That is a massive difference.

Home/Lakers News