The Los Angeles Lakers were down in the dumps following the 2018-2019 season. Although they won the 2018 offseason by signing arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James, it was clear he needed a solid superstar alongside him. So, Los Angeles traded for superstar Anthony Davis in the offseason, which ultimately led to the Lakers securing their 17th NBA title to tie their rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Things were looking great moving forward. James and Davis were the best duo in the sport, and they were determined to repeat. However, since that championship season, injuries have derailed this Lakers team, and they’ve failed to reach those heights. Not only have things changed for the worse for the purple and gold but so has Davis’ shooting, specifically his three-point shot.
In his first year as a Laker, he attempted 3.5 threes a game and knocked down 1.2; since then, his attempts have gone down, with the number at 1.2 tries, not makes, this season. Not only have his attempts gone down but so have his total made three-pointers. In his first season, Davis made 72 threes on 218 attempts; four seasons later, he’s only made 79 threes while attempting 322.
Now, this has to do with a multitude of things. First and foremost, injuries have plagued Davis since his first year as a Laker like none other. From his foot to his adductor, back, and wrist, to name a few, he’s not the same player, health-wise, LA traded for in the 2019 offseason.
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The second reason, the Lakers are not as big as they were in 2019-2020. The Lakers had a big frontcourt with Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee manning the middle. Davis is more so on the paint or around the run since those two headed stage left from Los Angeles.
Let’s be honest with ourselves: Davis was never a three-point shooter. His best three-point shooting numbers, percentage-wise, came in the 2017-2018 season, where he shot 34%. Even then, he only made 0.7 threes a game in 75 games.
The concern around that stat is real, though; I’m not trying to brush it off. You would think this season would be different, especially after Laker head coach Darvin Ham mentioned that he wanted the nine-time All-Star to attempt at least six threes per game.
We’re not sure how serious Ham was but he did make it public. Is it just the simple fact that he can’t shoot anymore? We have many examples of players losing their touch over the years, and maybe that’s the case with Davis. It’s unfortunate if that’s the case now.
As long as he continues to be the defensive monster, I’m sure Lakers fans can live with it. Or maybe they won’t.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.