The Los Angeles Lakers have Luka Doncic, and as great of a basketball player as he is, the roster around him does not provide the shooters that he desperately needs. It is that simple.
Unfortunately, if they do not fix that glaring need fast, they will most likely risk squandering the prime of one of the most gifted offensive creators in the game.
Lakers are wasting Luka Doncic's greatest gift
Doncic has been an absolute wizard with the ball his entire time in the NBA. He has led the league in generating corner three-point attempts throughout his career, according to an article published by ESPN.
That shot, high-efficiency, high-value, is one of the most important in modern basketball. But in Los Angeles, it is sadly going largely to waste.
The ESPN article goes on to state that only Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Dalton Knecht have made corner threes at an above-average rate. That is it. That is the entire list. You look at that, and you do not exactly see a lineup that puts fear in opposing defenses.
This could be a major problem going into next year. There is no doubt that Doncic will still get his numbers, especially with the way he looks currently. Doncic still pulls defenses apart in many different ways, but the Lakers need to make sure they capitalize on their open looks.
When opponents do not have to respect shooters in the corners, it tightens spacing. Lane gets clogged, and life gets harder for everyone.
The real frustration? This is preventable. The Lakers just are not equipped, at least not at the moment. With that being said, there are no easy fixes. The team is hard-capped at the first apron and has only $2.3 million to work with. Still, one name makes a lot of sense, and that is Seth Curry.
Curry, as of writing this, is a free agent. He has hit over 43 percent from deep in his career. Last season, he quietly knocked down 45 percent of his threes as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
What is most impressive is that over the past five years, he has ranked ninth in corner three-point percentage (minimum 100 attempts). That is elite.
Curry does not need 30 minutes a night. Just enough to keep defenses honest and give Doncic space to operate. If, however, he is out of reach financially, then the burden will shift to JJ Redick, the Lakers head coach and one of the best pure shooters of his generation.
Redick has to help unlock something in the Lakers players. LaRavia should be able to thrive under his schemes. Knecht needs to find a way to bounce back. Other guys will need to step up, and Redick needs to help them with that.
If those guys can’t become some real threats, the truth is they are just placeholders at the end of the day. That will just not cut it, not in a stacked Western Conference.