Lakers' fatal flaws that will doom 2025 NBA championship chances

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The Los Angeles Lakers mounted a solid run during the regular season last year. They became the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament champions with LeBron James claiming the first NBA In-Season Tournament MVP. However, it was a different story in the playoffs. While they made the postseason after beating the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament, they were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round in five games.

The Nuggets certainly exposed several kinks to the Lakers’ armor, including their shooting woes. Nonetheless, the Lakers are still running it back, with a new head coach in former NBA player JJ Redick. While Redick was an elite shooter back in his playing days, it’s unclear whether his hiring can improve the Lakers’ shooting.

Missing out on marquee names

One of the biggest mistakes the Lakers made during the offseason was failing to pull the trigger on the big names available in free agency. A lot of which could’ve easily helped the Lakers in multiple ways. Some notable shooters included Trae Young, Klay Thompson, Gary Trent Jr., Paul George, and former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Any of these guys were capable of helping address the Lakers’ perimeter shooting woes, theoretically at least.

Unfortunately, the Purple and Gold decided to play a passive role in free agency. In fact, they will basically run the same roster in the upcoming 2024-2024 season with some under-the-radar additions. Other names that the Lakers missed were DeMar DeRozan, Donovan Mitchell, and Jonas Valanciunas. DeRozan and Mitchell aren’t exactly shooters, but they do have a respectable perimeter shot while also being able to reduce the offensive load on James and Davis.

On the other hand, Valanciunas was probably the center they needed to boost their frontcourt if they wanted to give themselves a chance to stop an elite center like the reigning NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic. By losing out on Valanciunas, the Lakers lost out on a big man who can space the floor while being able to anchor the defense.

The Lakers will probably have chemistry and cohesion as some of their biggest strengths. However, by missing out on acquiring some big names, they also forfeited the chance to make some upgrades to their roster, including the shooting department which has haunted the team for years.

Lakers’ cold shooting stretches

If we were to take into account last season, this Lakers team can find itself in a ditch when the shots aren’t falling. In fact, during the ongoing NBA Preseason, Laker fans are given the same glimpses once again. While Dalton Knecht and Quincy Olivari are proving to be wildcards, to go along with Bronny James’ breakout preseason game, the Lakers do need to shoot the ball if they want to push for a NBA championship.

Knecht’s 35-point performance on eight threes and Olivari’s 22 points spiked by five threes were steps in the right direction. However, it’s still preseason and it’s safer not to depend on the same accuracy from these rookies once the season begins. At the end of the day, the Lakers will probably rely on players from their rotation last year.

Apart from AD and James, their rotation will probably feature some shooters like Austin Reeves, D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, and Rui Hachimura. Although these guys can shoot the ball at a respectable clip, they can also get into shooting slumps real quick. Moreover, they’ve also missed whenever the Lakers needed them to make the three-balls.

When the Lakers aren’t making their shots, the momentum quickly shifts and more often than not, the team fails to recover. As with LeBron James-led teams, it’s quite important that shooters knock down their shots. With the way James lures the opposing team’s defense, shooters should get clean looks every now and then. Unfortunately, the Lakers have historically been unable to capitalize.

Although the hiring of Redick should address the Lakers’ need for shooting a bit, at the end of the day, it’s the players who need to make their shots. If the Lakers want to give themselves a chance, players like Russell, Hachimura, and Reeves need to be more consistent from Rainbow Country while Vincent needs to reclaim the same shooting touch he had back in Miami.

Offense outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis

The supporting cast wasn’t consistent last season. Given that the Lakers are running it back, chances are good that it will be the same story once again. The Lakers pretty much gave the keys of the team to its supporting cast during the NBA Preseason. They posted a 2-4 win-loss card, which isn’t exactly promising. However, the team did witness some standout performances by Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, and Quincy Olivari.

But then again, the regular season is a different beast compared to the NBA Preseason, more so the playoffs. The lack of offense being generated outside of James and Davis clearly points toward the shooting woes of the Lakers. By now, the Lakers coaching staff should realize that James and Davis thrive when the shooters are making their shots from beyond the arc since it allows them more space to freely operate.

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