If you are scanning the Los Angeles Lakers roster looking for consistent snipers beyond Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, you will come up short. That shortage is not just a minor hiccup; it is a glaring issue that could define their season.
Jovan Buha brought up a good argument on his podcast, Buha’s Block: “There’s just not a lot of shooting in the rotation outside of the main guys… Luka, Austin and LeBron are all above-average shooters.”
Lakers lack shooting threats outside of their stars
Doncic is a magician with the ball, who routinely pulls off difficult shots and keeps defences guessing. LeBron, despite entering his 23rd season, has been able to stay solid from deep, hovering between 37 and 40 percent the past few years. Austin Reaves has shown he can be reliable, even with a few up-and-down moments.
However, beyond those three players, the Lakers’ shooting starts to feel thin. Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia come with promise but also plenty of “ifs.”
DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are not threats from deep. Rookie Adou Thiero’s offence is still a question mark, and there is a chance he goes unseen in his rookie year.
Marcus Smart has not been a dependable three-point shooter since his 2018-19 season. That season was the only time he averaged higher than 35 percent from three.
Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent also struggle to provide consistent shooting. That makes it tough for defenses to respect their range.
Last year, the Lakers shot just 36.6 percent from beyond the arc, which landed them right in the middle of the pack. In today’s NBA, that is simply not good enough.
When defenses do not fear your shooters, they pack the paint. This results in suffocating stars like Doncic and LeBron, making their jobs that much harder.
Adding to the problem, the Lakers did not bring in any dead-eye shooters this offseason. This roster is in desperate need of a bona fide shooter who can pull defenders away and create space.
Now, with salary cap restrictions, they can’t sign anyone meaningful until mid-January. By that point, most reliable shooters will be off the market.
That leaves Dalton Knecht as a potential bright spot. The second-year guard has shown the range and confidence to stretch the floor, but consistency is still a hurdle, and he is coming off a nightmare Summer League.
He stands as the Lakers’ best off-ball shooter on the roster. Despite that, expecting him to carry that load right now is a lot.
If Los Angeles wants to give Luka, LeBron, and the rest of their stars the best chance to succeed, addressing their shooting struggles has to be a top priority. Otherwise, this simmering problem could boil over and hold them back all season long.