5 Goals the LA Lakers Must Achieve During 2015-16 Season
The 2015-16 season began with hopes that the Los Angeles Lakers could at least be competitive in the West.
But despite a 97-85 win against the Detroit Pistons Sunday night, a 2-8 record offers scant expectations for a playoff run.
Nevertheless, this is a team with an abundance of young talent and a manageable payroll that offers future free-agent flexibility.
L.A. can’t just sit back and wait for tomorrow to arrive, however. There’s work to be done and growth to be cultivated. That means recognizing priorities and improving fundamentals. Whether the Lakers’ current head coach Byron Scott is up to the challenge is an open question. But if he can’t achieve some reasonable goals, there will be one more item to add to management’s list.
There are both pipe-dreams and reasonable goals when it comes to the months ahead. But one thing’s for sure: The Lakers won’t be chasing titles again anytime soon if they don’t start concentrating on the basics.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com and Basketball-Reference.com. Stats are current as of the start of games on November 16, 2015.
Prioritize Development for the Future
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With the Lakers quickly taking up residence toward the bottom of the Western Conference, one thing becomes very apparent: This season must be more about developing talent for the future than vainly hoping for a playoff run.
It starts with L.A.’s No. 2 draft pick, D’Angelo Russell. The 19-year-old from Ohio State is known for his passing and playmaking abilities. But Byron Scott has approached the rookie’s development curiously, subbing him out of critical learning situations.
“I'm not going to put him out there to put him out there,” Scott said recently, via Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. “If I do that and he's not prepared and he's not learning, then I'm preparing him to fail.”
But as Plaschke also noted, “Russell is not sure how to prepare, because he said, ‘I've got to figure out what I'm doing wrong so I can correct it.’”
There’s an old adage that you can’t learn without failing. L.A.'s current sideline leader needs to give this kid enough burn to learn.
On the other hand, Scott did a decent job with Jordan Clarkson last season, introducing him gradually at first. The second-year guard is tied with Kobe Bryant for most minutes played per game at present and is the team's second-leading scorer.
Meanwhile, Julius Randle is making up for lost time after missing all but 14 minutes of his rookie campaign last season with a broken leg. While last year’s No. 7 pick is showing promise and progress—snagging boards, running the floor and hitting short-to-mid-range shots from numerous spots—he also suffers from Scott’s tendency to sub in veterans at crucial junctures.
This is a coach chasing wins while too rarely getting them.
Also worth mentioning is first-round rookie Larry Nance, Jr. who has shown tremendous energy and athleticism as an undersized power forward.
Find a Better Balance
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For years, finding a better balance for the Lakers has been synonymous with finding an equilibrium between Bryant and the rest of the team. Now in his 20th and perhaps final season, the Mamba is coming off a string of serious injuries, and finding his rhythm has been difficult. The five-time NBA champion hasn’t shied away from pinning the blame on himself.
“I’m the 200th-best player in the league right now,” Bryant said recently, via Lakers.com. “I freaking suck.”
He has also struggled with back issues that kept him out of two games so far, as well as late-game fatigue.
That said, the five-time NBA champion put on a vintage performance Sunday night against the Pistons with an impressive stat line of 17 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes.
But these throwback moments come at a price. As Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell tweeted, Bryant’s back stiffened up during the game, putting Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns into doubt.
This is the reality of an aging superstar as he plays alongside young and inexperienced teammates whose natural tendency is to stand and watch as the magic happens—or doesn’t—one more time. That has to change. The next generation of Lakers has to become empowered and can’t wait to assume the mantle.
The team also struggles with focus and consistency, making the proper cuts and moving the ball for a period of minutes, only to quickly fall apart and chase after contested shots when the going gets tough.
Scott shares the blame for this, overworking his players in practice and lacking the tactical skill to adjust to in-game situations. The Lakers need to find a better balance between drills and games, between offense and defense, between isolations and teamwork. Bryant can help to some degree, but ultimately, it’s a coach’s responsibility.
Improve the Defense
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Too often in the Lakers’ young season, Roy Hibbert is left as not only the last line of protection but the only one, as opponents stream in unhindered.
The Lakers are giving up 104.1 points per game, making theirs the sixth-worst defense in the league. The issues are multiple and include inexperience and rotations that simply don’t feature enough stoppers.
Among the starters, Russell is a young rookie who hasn’t developed a lot of strength yet and isn’t known for defensive intensity. Meanwhile, Randle’s lateral quickness is a bit limited, while Bryant is a shadow of his former self when guarding opposing players. Conversely, Clarkson has quick hands and has shown an increasing ability to pressure the basketball on the perimeter.
As for the second unit, playing Lou Williams and Nick Young together is a recipe for defensive disaster—further exacerbated when Scott includes Ryan Kelly and Brandon Bass in the same lineup.
Recently, Metta World Peace has been inserted into the mix, adding a much-needed dose of awareness and intensity. Nance, Jr. has also been picking up minutes and impressing with his ability to switch on defense.
As a whole, the Lakers need to show a better ability to help their teammates and be able to recover once they’re out of position. Given the relative youth of the team, this should be as much about development and establishing good habits as it is about winning games.
Improve Shot Efficiency
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The Lakers are one of the shakiest scoring teams in the league, ranked 27th out of 30 in overall field-goal efficiency and 22nd when it comes to three-point completions.
Much of blame for the low numbers resides with just two players: Bryant and Williams, who are not only launching plenty of errant missiles but also topping the usage charts.
Moving Bryant to small forward was supposed to take him off the ball and put him in prime scoring positions—at the elbows and mid-post. Nonetheless, his shooting touch has been very streaky to start the season.
As for Williams, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been the team’s worst shooter so far, completing just 30.7 percent from the floor and an anemic 20 percent from downtown.
There have been bright spots, however. Clarkson and Young are both firing effectively, while Nance Jr. has also been impressive in limited action, shooting 61.5 percent overall. Ditto World Peace, who’s making 44.4 percent of his three-pointers with a very low usage rate of just 13.5 percent.
But Bryant and Williams are the team’s most prolific and least efficient shooters. Finding their respective ranges soon would be good, because neither is likely to change his stripes soon.
Look to Make a Trade
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Exploring a midseason trade could help balance the roster and continue building toward the future. Movable assets include players who’ve been with the organization for a few years and newer arrivals as well.
As Forum Blue & Gold’s Darius Soriano recently pointed out, a date to keep in mind is December 15: “That’s the date players who were signed as FA’s this offseason can be traded.”
Two obvious candidates are utility center Robert Sacre, who has played a grand total of four minutes this season, and Kelly, who has also recently been assigned to the pine. Both are on very modest, expiring contracts—$981,348 and $1,724,250 respectively, according to Spotrac.
Williams and Young represent more substantial components. Although only 6’1”, Williams is most comfortable at the 2-guard position—a niche player who compensates for his lack of size by getting his shot off quickly with a high release point or driving to the basket and drawing contact.
So far this season, however, sinking free throws has been the 10-year veteran’s chief contribution; his shot-making has been atrocious.
Meanwhile, Young has been redeeming himself to some extent for last year’s campaign, making 45.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. The journeyman also has decent size at 6’7”, allowing him to play both small forward and shooting guard.
Do the Lakers need both of these guys? Williams is just a handful of games into a three-year, $21 million deal, while Young also has nearly three years left at an average of $5.3 million.
The Lakers are in serious need of an athletic three-and-D wing or a multi-position big who can stretch the floor. Perhaps they can cash in a trade chip and find such a player.
