Even though the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make a blockbuster trade like the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics, nor did they sign a star in NBA free agency, the storied franchise is expected to make some noise during the upcoming season with one of the deepest rosters in the league.
One of the main reasons for the Lakers’ optimism with the start of the season approaching is superstar forward/center Anthony Davis being healthy and improving his outside shot over the summer.
In fact, Davis has made considerable enough strides with his shooting during the offseason that head coach Darvin Ham wants him to attempt six three-pointers a night this season, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin via SportsCenter.
Darvin Ham wants AD to be a 3-point threat this season 👀
More from @mcten: https://t.co/Ore4R93K67 pic.twitter.com/R6ZK4qY9KT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 10, 2023
Along with dealing with injury issues over the years, the last three seasons in Los Angeles have been particularly brutal for Davis when it comes to his efficiency from beyond the arc.
Last season, Davis shot 25.7% from deep, which is actually an improvement from the previous season in which he shot 18.6% from three-point range.
In order to justify six attempts from beyond the arch, Davis needs to improve that number considerably, or he’ll end up hurting the team rather than helping moving forward.
Davis’ career-high number for attempts per game in a season is 3.5, which he did in his first season with the Lakers and ended up shooting 33% from deep.
It’ll be interesting to see if Davis can mix things up this season as he may have more open looks than usual, with so many talented players on this Lakers roster and opposing teams likely letting him shoot until he can prove he’s a threat from there.
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