One of the biggest storylines after the Lakers’ 0-2 start to the 2022-23 NBA season is their poor shooting. The team has to improve in many areas, but their offense has looked particularly bad in the first two games.
It was on Thursday night against the Clippers that their offensive woes became alarmingly visible, with only LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV posting double-digit points.
On the other hand, Russell Westbrook had one of his worst performances ever. While he scored only two points in 27 minutes, Brodie missed all his field goals (0-11) and three-point attempts (0-6). After the game, LeBron addressed his teammate’s shooting struggles.
Lakers News: LeBron James addresses Russell Westbrook’s 0-11 shooting night
“Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday,” James said in his press conference, via Fadeaway World. “He's a veteran. We've all had bad shooting nights. Everybody in this league has had bad shooting nights. Who cares? I thought he played a great game defensively.
“He was locked in. He pushed the tempo. He didn't make any shots, and that's ok. He had five steals, two back-to-back in critical time... he just didn't make any shots. That's fine. Just flush it down the toilet."
Westbrook did contribute in defense, but his poor work in offense may have overshadowed everything else. However, head coach Darvin Ham doesn’t look worried about his team’s shooting struggles.
Darvin Ham speaks up on Lakers’ shooting struggles
“We see these guys making shots in practice and shoot-around,” Ham said, via Lakers Nation. “They got to do it on the game floor. It’s as simple as that. Whether the team was giving us shots or not, as you know, it is what it is, but we’d like the shots we’re getting. Once we start making them, we’ll see if those shots are still available due to our running habits and our screening habits.
“Definitely, you’d like to see the ball go in more. But again, you just have to trust the process and continue to work at it and get reps up. Eventually, the ball will go in the hole.”
Even after going through one of their worst campaigns in recent years, the Lakers have once again received a wake up call only two games into the season. The Purple and Gold are back in action on Sunday against Portland.
