Simply put, the Lakers need three-point shooting. Teams with good or great post play usually complement it with spacing.
Good shooting keeps defenses honest and allows interior players to operate against single coverage. Against one defender, Howard can beat his man and score in the paint.
NBA.com's advanced stats tool tells us the Purple and Gold has taken the third most three-pointers from above the break (all three-pointers excluding those from the corners) this season.
But the Lakes can certainly do a better job creating more of these shots. Swinging the ball side to side certainly helps on this front. Also, because teams love sending an extra defender at quality big men, smart teams position their shooters in spots on the floor that lead to corner shots.
It's worth noting that entering the April 17 contest against the Houston Rockets, the Lakers were converting 36.8 percent of their corner three-pointers, a figure that places them in the leagues bottom half.
However, their conversion mark is still superior from the corners when compared to their percentages from above the break.
Because defenses despise giving up three-pointers from the corners, it makes double-teaming the post an incredibly risky proposition.
No comments:
Post a Comment