The Los Angeles Lakers’ 3-point shooting this season has been, well, let’s just call it “an adventure.” A year removed from finishing in the top half of the league, they have now plummeted to 25th in 3-point percentage, and the shots that once rattled in are now rattling the nerves of Lakers fans.
The Lakers have scored the second-fewest threes in the league and own one of the worst percentages while doing it. That is not exactly ideal. Fortunately for the purple and gold, LeBron James has returned to action.
LeBron’s evolution could be the key to fixing the Lakers
After missing 14 games, James has stepped back on the court, and he was able to immediately shift the shape of the Lakers’ offense. His stat line of 11 points and 12 assists in 30 minutes does not scream dominance, but his impact was unmistakable.
The ball had movement again. Players cut with purpose. The offense breathed in a way it simply hadn’t while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves shouldered the full creative load. The ball movement was so good that the Lakers finished with 31 assists, comfortably above their season average of 26 per game.
LeBron does not need to control every possession like he did in his prime. Instead, he is now able to pick his spots with the discipline of a veteran who knows how to tilt a defense without exhausting himself. He can now also operate as a facilitator, something he is so good at.
Defenders are not sure how to guard him because smaller wings are too light to absorb his strength, and bigger defenders are too slow to stay in front. The result is a natural buffer of space, which is exactly what LeBron wants, as it gives him the ability to view the whole floor. With that view, his reads become devastatingly simple, and his passes travel on lines most players can’t physically generate.
That combination of vision and strength is why he sits fourth all-time in assists. Not only does he help with the ball movement, but he also can tie everything together for the team when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc.
LeBron has become a legitimately efficient 3-point shooter himself. Over the last two seasons, he has hovered around 40 percent from deep, including 41.6 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts last year.
LeBron’s evolution has become so crucial for this squad.
He can shoot, he can create, and he can guide his teammates into cleaner, higher-value looks simply by understanding where the defense is about to crack. Los Angeles, as of now, still has a shooting issue, but with LeBron helping orchestrate their offense again, it finally feels like there's a solution.