Los Angeles Lakers: 2018 NBA Draft checklist for potential selections
By Jason Reed
2. Proficient three-point shooting
The Los Angeles Lakers’ offense was actually not too shabby last season. Overall, the team averaged 108.1 points per game, the 11th most in the league last season. While there definitely is some room for improvement, that is pretty solid for a team full of guys with virtually no experience.
Were the Los Angeles Lakers looking to improve the offense in the 2018 NBA Draft the approach is simple: add a proficient three-point shooter. The best-case pick for the Lakers is a shooting guard that can fill the void left behind by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Right now, the Lakers are pretty thin at guard with just Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Tyler Ennis under contract.
Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. The Lakers shot 34.5 percent from beyond the arc, the second-worst tally in the league. With ten makes per game, the Lakers made the 10th-least threes per game on the 15th-most attempts.
So not only is the team not making the threes, they are actually taking a decent amount which is hurting the offense.
Luckily, the later-half of the first round is absolutely stacked with guards, in particular, shooting guards. Some notable three-point specialists that could warrant the 25th overall pick are:
- Keita Bates-Diop — Ohio State
- Donte DiVincenzo — Villanova
- Khyri Thomas — Creighton
- Gary Trent Jr. — Duke
Whether it is by creating their own shot or by acting as a catch-and-shoot specialist, the Los Angeles Lakers need some form of three-point shooting.