The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have a very good roster as we head into midsummer. But most, if not all, would agree that they aren’t quite a championship-caliber team.
The main weakness many point to on the Lakers’ roster is the lack of defensive standouts. Guard Marcus Smart, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, recently signed with them after getting his previous contract bought out by the Washington Wizards. But even if he is close to the player he was a few years ago — which many feel is a big if — he, by himself, wouldn’t be enough to make L.A. a strong enough defensive team.
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However, there is another deficiency the team appears to have that few are talking about — 3-point shooting.
This past season, L.A. was 14th in 3-point shooting percentage and 19th in 3-point attempts. After the All-Star break, the team was 10th and ninth, respectively, in both categories, but a scan of its roster reveals a lack of snipers.
Luka Doncic is always one of basketball’s most dangerous 3-point shooters, especially off the dribble with his trademark step-back jumper. LeBron James has become an above-average 3-point shooter over the last two years, and Austin Reaves is also an above-average outside shooter.
But what the Lakers need to stock up on is non-stars who are strong 3-point shooters, and they don’t have many of them.
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Jake LaRavia, a 23-year-old forward they signed earlier this month, made 42.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc this past season. He has said he wants to increase his volume of shots from that distance after registering 2.2 attempts in 20.4 minutes a game during the 2024-25 campaign.
Starting forward Rui Hachimura is an excellent outside shooter who shot 41.3% from downtown this past season. Dalton Knecht, who is entering his second NBA season, has had spurts of hot shooting, but he has also had cold streaks that have lasted at least as long as his hot streaks, and his defense and court awareness seem to be huge concerns.
The rest of the Lakers’ rotation players are non-threats from the outside. Smart is a career 32.4% 3-point shooter, guard Gabe Vincent is about as reliable from that distance as a dying flashlight and forward Jarred Vanderbilt hits from downtown about as often as it rains in Southern California during the summer.
Coach JJ Redick apparently wants the Lakers to become a high-volume 3-point shooting team. But for that to work, the Lakers need more snipers. Given the fact that they have almost no space under the first apron of the salary cap and very limited trade assets, they may end up throwing up enough bricks to put a major dent in Los Angeles’ homelessness epidemic early in the 2025-26 season.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: The one thing the Lakers lack that many aren’t talking about