The Los Angeles Lakers just snagged back-to-back wins, completely washing out the taste of a frustrating loss to start the week. Honestly, a lot of that is thanks to Luka Dončić doing Luka things. We’re all buzzing about whether this offense can actually keep up this pace, because the numbers are kinda yelling “YES!” It’s easy to look at some of Dončić’s incredible threes and think “no way that’s sustainable,” but when you look at the whole team, there’s some seriously encouraging stuff happening.
Hitting From Deep: A Shocking Turnaround
Let’s dive into the three-point game first, because it’s wild. Sure, Luka’s often pulling up from insane spots, and those shots don’t *seem* like they should go in every time. But get this: the team as a whole is getting quality looks from beyond the arc. They’re ranked ninth in 3-point rate this season, with a full 46% of their shots coming from deep. That’s a massive leap from last year when they were sitting at a dismal 22nd in the league with only 39.4% from beyond the arc. Remember how last year they were dead last in catch-and-shoot threes attempted *and* made, and a measly 24th in overall 3-pointers attempted? Yeah, that’s gone. This season, while the sheer volume hasn’t exploded to the top of the league,they’re 16th in 3-pointers attempted, 25th in catch-and-shoot attempts, and 19th in makes,the efficiency is off the charts. They’re second in the entire league in 3-point percentage, first in catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage, and eighth in wide-open 3-point percentage. And despite all that, they’re still only 15th in the percentage of their total points coming from threes. Wanna know why?
Smashing the Paint: New Faces, Same Dominance
It’s because these guys are still absolutely feasting at the rim. Last season, the Lakers were basically the best team in the league at scoring once they got into the paint. Having LeBron James alongside Luka and Austin Reaves, two elite finishers, was a cheat code. Now, LeBron is gone, obviously, but they’ve replaced him with Walker Kessler, and man, this dude has been a force at the rim as a roll man. And it’s not just Kessler. Add in Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, two guys who are north of the 85th percentile in field goal percentage at the rim, and you can totally see why the Lakers rank second in the league in field goal percentage at the rim and first in field goal percentage in the paint. To kick off the season, Kessler was just crushing it in the pick and roll, but teams caught on fast and started adjusting.
So, what’s the real story here? Can this insane pace, this ridiculous efficiency, actually stick around? The numbers are pretty loud. They’re not just bombing threes, they’re doing it super efficiently, and they’re still straight up *dominating* inside. The league tried to slow Kessler down in the pick and roll, but these Lakers have too many ways to score. Keep your eyes peeled, because if these early numbers hold up, it’s gonna be a wild ride for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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