With a variety of role players taking calls and fielding offers, the Lakers find themselves in the mix for a handful of intriguing perimeter weapons who could help bolster their offerings on both ends of the floor.
After ranking 17th in three-point percentage (34.4) and 26th in opponents' long-distance conversion rate (36.3 percent), it's only reasonable to expect L.A. to continue pursuing improvements in the three-and-D department.
Lakers Out on Aldridge?
According to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan, the Lakers can start shifting their attention to signing players not named LaMarcus Aldridge:
However, Aldridge's representatives were quick to rebuff the notion that Aldridge had crossed any teams off his list:
Whether the agency's refutation was a leverage play or not remains to be seen, but Bresnahan's reporting certainly doesn't bode well for the Purple and Gold.
Under head coach Byron Scott, the Lakers have been notoriously averse to advanced stats, and Bresnahan emphasized that as a key component of the team's failed pitch:
"The Lakers are a mess in terms of basketball stuff right now, Kobe or no Kobe," CBSSports.com's Matt Moore wrote. "Byron Scott is coaching an old-school mentality, feed-the-post type style that definitely will give Aldridge ample opportunities, but Aldridge has also thrived in a system that balanced with weakside 3-point shooters."
Last season, the Lakers ranked 24th in offensive efficiency, 25th in threes attempted and sat right around the league average in pace, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Stigmatized as NBA luddite...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
