The Lakers couldn’t beat the Suns and lost 113-123 on the road to lose their pre-All-Star break momentum. LeBron James commented on the Lakers’ lack of free throw shooting overnight, criticizing NBA coaches and teams for spreading stories about the team’s free throw percentage.
That’s who we are. A lot of coaches and teams say, ‘All the Lakers have to do is get to the free throw line.'” -50 3 games, we’re not that team and we are. you don’t have the luxury of being that team… I know I got hit a few times, but it wasn’t called.
LeBron had 28 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists in the loss, doing his best to make something happen. But his frustration with the lack of free throws is not surprising, with eight shots tonight.They entered the game tied for sixth in the NBA in free throws per game (24.3) and tied for fewest free throws per game (18.9). Although the Lakers are one of the worst teams to drive to the rim this season, their free throw percentage is very high. This could be because they are 2nd in the NBA in rim density and 5th in rim accuracy (per glass clearance).
The Lakers are No. 5 in rebounding and No. 3 in possession. (Via NBA.com)Their style of play is designed to make more calls. While fans of other franchises always point out the Lakers’ bias when analyzing free throws, it was clear that their poor shooting strategy failed against Phoenix, showing that the team needs more opportunities to score consistently.No offense to the Lakers?The Lakers offense has been wooden for much of the season.
They looked much improved in January, thanks in large part to D’Angelo Russell’s solid form, but have waned in recent games. Russell averaged 22.7 points and 6.0 assists in January. His numbers haven’t dipped like they did in December, but they’ve come back down to earth and are averaging exactly 20.0 points when the team needs more offense.Spencer Dinwiddie had to come in and be the spark plug.
Lakers off the bench, just like he did on the Mavericks in the 2022 Conference Finals. However, his adaptation was rotten. He’s averaging 4.8 points and 3.4 assists on 31.0% shooting through the first three games, and everyone expects him to pull it together and be the focal point for a franchise that needs it.LeBron and Anthony Davis combine for over 50 points today. . and carried team points all year.
They need more consistent production from role players, especially shooters, to have a chance to win. Unfortunately, the level of talent on the roster doesn’t seem high enough to find opportunities to score if their hits don’t drop..
