The Laker Breakdown

Stats and Film Analysis for the Los Angeles Lakers

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

@jovanbuha I just think the scheme has to change a little bit defensively against a 5 out offense and without Kessler. A lot less gambles shrink more gaps and give a little more ground at POA

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

We’ve also fouled two 3 point shooters

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Ball pressure like this against a 5 out offense just isn’t that smart

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Lakers took 44 threes in their first official game this season. They only took that many twice all year last year.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

This is a genuinely ridiculous steal and the NBA doesn’t track deflections in the preseason and I know he’s had a bunch

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Mamu showing the dribble and pass ability there as well

[Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers]

Q CAN FLY

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Interesting seeing Ziaire take the full court pressure duties on Acuff and Grimes takes the Deandre Hunter assignment

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

In a lot of videos I’ve seen over the summer either workouts or pickup at Rico Hines, Kevon Looney has been taking spot up threes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a few in the preseason if he plays. Might be something JJ wants Looney to try out to help with spacing when he’s on the floor. Obviously hasn’t been a part of his game in the past in the NBA, but shot 41% on 53 attempts in his one season at UCLA. So maybe the touch is there.

[Khobi Price @khobi_price]

📍

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

@LakersSpin To get more practices in. JJ talked about it after day 2 or 3 of training camp. They had 6 real practices last year and will get 12 or more this year

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Lakers lineups with the best net ratings last season. What do you notice?

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

@Lakers @BMO_US I cannot wait to watch Luka Doncic play basketball again

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

@LakersNation Maybe the back to back was on purpose! @TrevorLane

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

This is a follow up on my previous post on Luka's shot diet. This shows the average off ball gravity of the Lakers in 2025-26 using the NBA's gravity stat. Lakers just had much worse off-ball gravity than the Knicks and the Thunder last season, allowing for more help on defense and less paint touches for Luka.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

A look into the shots diets of the three best point guards/primary ball handlers in the NBA. Interesting looking at Luka's three point numbers as a guy who is a good interior finisher. Just didn't get a lot of attempts in the paint compared to two guys who have a similar role and have won the last two finals MVPs. Obviously Luka is a talented three point shooter, but would like to see him get more rim and paint attempts this season.

A lot of this is due to spacing. Lakers played two non three point shooting centers and had wings who weren't great three point shooters where OKC and NYK can play lineups with 5 out spacing with KAT and Jaylin Williams or Chet. It should help Luka out to get Kessler, who seems to be a willing and hopefully able three point shooter, and Mamu, who can be a knock down guy at the 5.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

JJ when asked about having 5 preseason games this year as opposed to 6 last year "Wanna say we had 6 real practices in the preseason last year. This year we'll have at least 12." So I'd say the early preseason schedule with 3 games in 4 days was very much intentional to get more practices in with a bunch of new guys. I think JJ would want to have more practices anyway even if this wasn't a completely new team. Teams don't get a lot of practice time during the season and this is the time that you actually do so might as well try to maximize it.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Adou’s shot looks pretty comfortable

[Raj C. @RajChipalu]

Here you go. Carr, Adou, Hardy and Sexton shooting.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

A look into the shots diets of the three best point guards/primary ball handlers in the NBA. Interesting looking at Luka's three point numbers as a guy who is a good interior finisher. Just didn't get a lot of attempts in the paint compared to two guys who have a similar role and have won the last two finals MVPs. Obviously Luka is a talented three point shooter, but would like to see him get more rim and paint attempts this season.

A lot of this is due to spacing. Lakers played two non three point shooting centers and had wings who weren't great three point shooters where OKC and NYK can play lineups with 5 out spacing with KAT and Jaylin Williams or Chet. It should help Luka out to get Kessler, who seems to be a willing and hopefully able three point shooter, and Mamu, who can be a knock down guy at the 5.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

@LukaUpdates Jake’s shot looks noticeably different

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

One thing that I think doesn't get talked about enough or appreciated enough is ball control in NBA games. It doesn't get praise when you do it well because there's no positive stat for it, but it does get lots of ridicule when you don't do it well because of turnovers.

This a very zoomed in view of the guys who have the ball in their hands the most while they're in the game. Anyone who is in this small section of a much larger graph is a great ball handler and is trusted heavily in their system, and I understand that there is a risk reward element of some passes and that some passes lead to higher shooting percentages but also more turnovers, and that Luka is a player that throws more of these types of passes. However, guys like Nembhard, Brunson, Shai and Maxey do not turn the ball over very often and is something that Luka, Austin, and the new look Lakers can look to improve on this season.

[The Laker Breakdown @LakerBreakdown]

Kyle played for the Lakers in summer league and will bring an athletic rim running lob threat to training camp. His explosiveness (44 in. vert and 7’3 wingspan) is something the Lakers don’t currently have at the center position. He led the ACC in blocks and was top 10 in offensive rebounds. Two things Walker Kessler is also known for.

Swider has been a part of the Lakers in a few different stints in the and most recently played in Turkey. He will bring some continuity and familiarity to a team with a lot of new faces.

[Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers]

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forwards William Kyle III and Cole Swider.