The rock stuck in Kobe Bryant's hands on almost every play, and entire possessions died on far too many one-on-one adventures (often from Julius Randle).
No team isolates more frequently than the Lakers, and no team is less effective in isolation situations, per Synergy Sports. That's clearly nothing to be proud of, particularly in today's NBA, where passing, cutting (only the New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons have fewer shots from cuts) and unselfish play are prerequisites to sustainable success.
Before Wednesday night's blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, that team was the only one averaging fewer passes per game. To boot, only the Philadelphia 76ers average fewer secondary assists, and only the Toronto Raptors average fewer potential assists, according to SportVU. (The only way to survive with such an uncharitable style is by honing two All-Star talents in their prime—like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook or Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan—which the Lakers most certainly do not have.)
But there are reasons to be optimistic.
One week into December, the Lakers moved Randle and D'Angelo Russell to the bench, with the idea that a pass-first point guard running the second-unit would help foster more overall ball movement.
Embedding Larry Nance Jr.—a hoppy, low-maintenance forward—with the starting lineup also figured to help. Now we're nine games into the change, and for those who care to look, positive developments are slowly starting to show.
None of this is lost on head coach Byron Scott, who said before Wednesday night's l...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
