There are a couple of areas that immediately stick out as must-fix for the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the offseason. The starting center spot clearly needs to be occupied by someone other than Deandre Ayton. The wings just as notably need two-way players to help Luka Doncic. What is flying completely under the radar is the need for reliable second-unit scoring.
It has been a long time since the Lakers had stable production in that department. This season, Los Angeles ranked 29th in the NBA, only above the Houston Rockets, when it comes to bench scoring. Their guys averaged a forgettable 29.3 points per game in the category.
Lakers fans will know this was not a one-off. This is a continuing trend that has been ongoing for several seasons. In 2023-24, Los Angeles was 28th in the NBA with 28.4 points per game from their second unit. In 2024-25, that number was at 26.2, which ranked 29th in the NBA.
Continuing to be bottom three in that category will do the Lakers no favors. The opportunity to reset the roster this offseason should come with a focus on finding guys who can reliably contribute on both ends, allowing JJ Redick to not have to force the entire offensive burden on his stars.
Solving the second-unit scoring woes would take massive pressure off Lakers stars
2022-23 was the last year in which the Lakers had a healthy dosage of scoring from their backups. They posted 39.7 points per game in that regular season, ranking fourth in the NBA. That team wound up making the Western Conference Finals by year's end.
When Doncic was absent for the second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the lack of scoring production from the supporting acts showed up in the worst way. The Thunder constantly went on runs in the minutes without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, flexing their depth. The Lakers had no answers.
Having the NBA's leading scorer, and one of the game's two best offensive engines in general, masked a lot of the problems with the bench this season. Having him miss the time he did with a hamstring injury should remind Rob Pelinka why others need to be capable of creating offense too.
The Lakers bowed out of the postseason with one of the worst offensive ratings of the 16 playoff teams. They finished ranking 11th with 108.1 by the end of their run.
The scoring droughts were easy to spot throughout the playoffs. Adding sufficient help layered throughout the team would ensure that offense can be found from sources that are not constantly just Doncic, Austin Reaves, or otherwise.
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