The Los Angeles Lakers have unquestionably been one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season, but their lack of bench scoring is an obvious flaw that's limiting their ceiling right now.
On the season, LA's starters are scoring 95.2 points per night, which is the best mark in the NBA. On the flip side, their bench averages just 23.7 points a game, which is dead last in the Association. It's a stark contrast, and part of the reason the Lakers' starters are scoring so much is picking up the slack from the bench guys.
If we just look at this situation on paper, it makes sense to a degree. Luka Doncic is one of the best offensive engines on the planet, and he's creating quite a bit of the team's offense by himself alone. Austin Reaves was a good scorer before, but [he's reached a new level](https://lakeshowlife.com/luka-doncic-austin-reaves-answered-vital-question-without-lebron-james) this season.
LeBron James is still a [reliable secondary offensive piece](https://lakeshowlife.com/lebron-just-gave-lakers-fans-exactly-what-hoping-for), and Deandre Ayton has been a force on the interior. Rui Hachimura has also been solid offensively in his starts this season. But after the aforementioned guys, the offensive talent drops off quite a bit.
The Lakers' bench scoring must improve
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The Lakers have been having to rely on guys like Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Nick Smith Jr. and others to produce points off the bench, and they simply haven't found many steady contributors. There have been solid moments for a few bench players, but none are averaging double digits in scoring on the season. It's clear that a greater degree of consistency is going to be necessary.
LA has jumped out to a 15-4 record this season, and they'd be the top seed in the Western Conference if the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't exist. It's clear that there are a lot of things working for this squad right now, but bench scoring is clearly one of their weakest areas.
This has to be the top focus for the Lakers' front office with the trade deadline coming up in a couple of months. If you can't reliably produce offense when your starters are off the floor now, you can't reasonably expect to do it in April and May when the defensive pressure is turned up that much more.
Lakers fans are right to still be high on this group, especially with number 77 leading the way. However, they're going to end up being a disappointment if they can't find a way to steady that second unit before the games start to really matter.