Entering 2022, the Lakers' current record of 17 wins and 19 losses is not ideal, and the Purple and Gold Army needs to regroup in the new year. The US media listed the 5 major problems that the Lakers need to solve in the new year, which is expected to help the Lakers get out of the predicament and get on the right track, after all, the ultimate goal of the Lakers is to rush to the championship.
1) Renewed contract to keep Stanley Johnson (Jordan Jr. may leave the team)
Stanley Johnson surprised the Lakers, who performed well in three games against the Lakers and started in the Lakers' victory over the Houston Rockets, bringing energy to the Lakers who lacked flanking power, and the Lakers should renew Stanley Johnson.
The Lakers are about to trade Rondo, which means that the Lakers will not be forced to cut players, and whether they will give up Jordan Jr. is still unknown. According to the data, Jordan Jr. is no longer a rotational level NBA player, he directly made the Lakers worse. Despite thick-browed injuries and even James starting to play center, they do need a traditional big man, and Howard would be the better option. If the Lakers want to add a player through a buyout, Jordan Jr. should leave the team.
2) Determine a stable rotation lineup
The Lakers haven't built a stable lineup this season, and that's part not their fault, they haven't ushered in a full lineup yet. Injuries and the impact of the epidemic have given the Lakers a great blow, and the Lakers need to be committed to creating a stable rotation lineup, James, Westbrook, Thick Brow, Ariza, Nunn, Tucker, Reeves, Munch, Anthony and Stanley Johnson, they will be the Lakers' important ten-man rotation.
3) Limits reduce team errors
After the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies, James and David Fitzdale both mentioned the problem of mistakes, the Lakers averaged 15.9 turnovers per game, the third worst in the league, Westbrook averaged 4.7 turnovers per game in the NBA second, and James averaged 3.5 turnovers per game.
As one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, being unable to control mistakes almost certainly means losing games and taking fewer shots than other teams. When that happens, the Lakers' defense isn't enough to survive, especially against playoff-level teams.
4) The Lakers need to improve the free throw problem
Wei Shao's frequent missteps in late-game layups have become important material on lakers' Twitter and a clear example of his shortcomings and decline. At the end of the year, Westbrook shot 4-of-15 from the basket and missed 6 of 15 attempts this season.
For the third consecutive season, the Lakers' free throw shooting rate (72.7%) ranked third from the bottom in the basketball league, and the Lakers currently have no clear solution to this, and the Lakers need to find a way to solve the problem of mistakes and improve their free throw problems.
5) Reduce James's workload to protect the thirty-year-old man
The 37-year-old James averaged 37.2 minutes per game, second in the NBA. "We've been monitoring his load and handling it intelligently ... We rely on the feedback from the medical team and his feelings to make informed decisions. ”
The Lakers' medical team is taking a personalized approach to managing each player. James has repeatedly said he prefers playing the game to load management. "When I play very little time, I also feel worse," James said before the start of the season.
James chose to bear too much of a burden because of the lack of manpower on the team. Recently James thought playing the number five was actually easier for his body. It's just that when James goes off the bench, the Lakers will continue to struggle. The Lakers need to reduce the pressure on James, and the introduction of Westbrook is such a purpose, and the Lakers are still expected to be able to bring surprises against the wind.
(Text/Drunken Floating Life)