Lakers' Biggest Surprises To Open 2022-23 NBA Season
The Los Angeles Lakers aren't who we thought they were.
Well, not unless you entered the 2022-23 NBA season thinking they ranked among the league's very worst teams.
Maybe you did, but that was a hard plunge to make when LeBron James and Anthony Davis still reside on the roster. Not to mention the front office has the resources to find more help, namely in a pair of future first-round picks who will presumably convey well after James hangs them up—and should hold significant appeal because of that.
Ahead of Wednesday night's collision with the New Orleans Pelicans, we're digging deeper into this group to see what surprises it has produced so far.
The Shooting Is Historically Bad
Admittedly, expectations weren't exactly enormous for the Lakers' shooters. After a 10-of-40 showing from three on opening night, LeBron James was already telling reporters, "We're not a team constructed of great shooting."
Even with that concession, though, things weren't supposed to be this bad.
Entering Wednesday night, the Lakers were one of 223 teams to have attempted at least 150 threes over their first six games. Among that group, they ranked 222nd with an anemic 26.6 percent connection rate, per Stathead.
This isn't just rough shooting, it's been a brickfest for the ages. Spacing figured to be a concern, but no one saw James, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker III and Patrick Beverley all shooting worse than 27.5 percent from range.
Russell Westbrook Remains on the Roster
This isn't an intentional jab at Russell Westbrook, who usually seems like he's trying to make the best of a tough situation.
But how on earth has he not been traded yet?
The 33-year-old was this summer's most logical trade candidate and went nowhere. It felt at times like a deal might come together during training camp, but it was ultimately much ado about nothing again.
This makes no sense. Westbrook is a bad on-court fit with James, whom the Lakers should be tailoring their roster around. A deal probably gets done by some point, but each day that goes by without one is the latest wasted opportunity.
Austin Reaves' Shooting Rates Have Spiked
Coming out of college, Austin Reaves impressed with a well-rounded skill set that had almost everything in it.
A reliable jump shot was one of the few missing items.
If the first two weeks of this season are any indication, the 24-year-old might finally have that in his bag. The volume is admittedly minuscule, but the results are impressive nonetheless: 53.8 percent shooting overall, 47.1 percent from three.
For reference, he shot 45.9 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from range as a rookie. Those numbers fell mostly in line with the shooting rates from his final year of college ball with Oklahoma (44.3 and 30.5, respectively).
Reaves has always been a strong free-throw shooter, though, so the hope was his stroke had more to offer than the numbers showed. If his jumper is making the leap, then his career trajectory climbs that much higher.