The Lakers can’t shoot at all, and that’s even extending to LeBron early in the season.
If there’s one thing to know about the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season, it’s that they absolutely cannot shoot. This is a cardinal sin when building a team around LeBron James. While James has been otherwise incredible to start season No. 20, he’s also struggling to shoot the ball from deep. Maybe his teammates are rubbing off on him in a bad way.
As the Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon, James took a pull-up three-pointer from just inside the halfcourt logo during the second quarter. He bricked it horribly. Watch the play here:
There was 13 whole seconds left on the shot clock when LeBron took that three-pointer. This is a sign of a dude who has already realized the team around him is garbage. The Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since they won the 2020 NBA championship inside the bubble, and so far this isn’t shaping up to be the year they’re going to do it.
No one could believe LeBron took that shot and missed it so badly.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen LeBron miss a shot that badly in 20 years.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) October 23, 2022
Lebron gettin too old for logo shots
— Bay Area Mavs Fan (@bayareamavsfan) October 23, 2022
Absolutely terrible shot from Lebron. Like what are you doing bro
— Luka Dongthic (@dparks24) October 23, 2022
LeBron thought he was Dame and shot like Russ…
— Mack Bolan (@93rdMickey) October 23, 2022
Yeah Lebron dgaf logo shot 4 feet short
— RussShiesty (@hwpo_lleyton) October 23, 2022
LeBron say fuck it let me take practice shots
— kelvin (@agykelvin) October 23, 2022
To be fair, James is still playing at a high enough level to be the best player on a championship team. The only problem is that he has nothing close to a championship team around him. The Lakers screwed up their roster so badly in the wake of their 2020 championship, and yet top executive Rob Pelinka got a contract extension anyway. Make it make sense.
LeBron is going to break the NBA’s all-time career scoring record this year, but it feels like he already knows this Lakers team stinks. It sucks to see one of the best players of all-time waste away during his last few productive years on a team with no hope and no plan.
