The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talk of the town throughout the season despite their subpar record. Some primary reasons would be LeBron James' chase for the all-time scoring record, the Russell Westbrook situation, and several missed calls by the referees in the clutch. While the Lakers' 27-32 record is underwhelming, their recent moves ahead of the 2023 trade deadline changed the outlook for them and have them thinking about getting back in the NBA title contender mix. 

The acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba were brilliant for the organization because they addressed numerous issues with their roster, while also taking away the Westbrook problem. Vanderbilt and Bamba are stellar backups and supporting pieces to Anthony Davis, as these bigs complement him compared to the previous guys. The more important additions were Russell and Beasley because they addressed a massive weakness of the Lakers, their outside shooting, and that flaw is something that must be fixed the rest of the season if they are going to make a run.

Lakers' fatal flaw: Unreliable 3-point shooting 

It starts from the top: LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the superstars in this lineup, but they have yet to be known to be marksmen. James is attempting seven triples per game and converting on a mediocre 31% from long distance, while Davis is converting 25% on less than two attempts per contest. These numbers perfectly indicate that the rest of their roster must be surrounded by excellent shooters.

That has not been the case for the last couple of years, especially this season. At this juncture of the All-Star break, the Lakers are 29th in 3-point conversions with only 10.4 makes per game on 33.7%, which is 26th in the Association. Since the percentage is abysmal, defenses can focus more on surrounding the paint and mitigating the strengths of both James and Davis.

With Davis manning the paint, their interior defense is elite, but the primary concern is how the potential and chemistry of the supporting cast will be unlocked. D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley are two top-15 players in shots swished from behind the arc. Beasley is eighth with 177 total made rainbow shots for an average of 3.1 per game, while Russell is at 13th with 154 makes on 2.7 conversions per night.

Rob Pelinka executed questionable moves in the last two offseasons, but the trades before the 2023 trade deadline were the best he could do with the assets at his disposal. In the previous game before the All-Star break, D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley were inserted in the first unit, contributing to a crucial victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Beasley exploded for six treys in the previous game, while Russell's coming-out party was against the Pelicans, when he exploded for 21 points. These two individuals will have less pressure to contribute at a high level, but they will need to be more intelligent and efficient with their touches while knocking down 3-pointers at a high level. 

Guys like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroder, and Rui Hachimura could cut down on the questionable long-range attempts, which will make the execution of their offense smoother. Leaving the outside shooting responsibilities to the lethal men is the way to go for the Lakers. There are a plethora of problems on their squad, but addressing the shooting will go a long way in improving their standing.