EL SEGUNDO — One of the Lakers’ problems from their 120-107 road loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night – 3-point defense – wasn’t exclusive to that defeat.
Or this stretch of games since the All-Star break.
It’s an issue that has been magnified over the last few weeks, especially in the Lakers’ losses.
“Went through the [Sacramento] film and just some different things we could work on,” Coach Darvin Ham said after Friday’s practice. “Mixed in how we’ve been playing here as of late with some clips from Minnesota, whatever.
“But for the most part, just looking at how we can slow down the generation of 3s that are being piled on us.”
For the season, the Lakers allow opponents to make 14.1 3-pointers per game (the NBA’s third-worst mark). Laker opponents attempt 37.1 3-point shots per game (the third-most in the league) and convert 37.9% of them (the sixth-worst).
In the 11 games since the break, a stretch when the Lakers have gone 6-5 entering Saturday’s marquee home game against the Golden State Warriors, opponents have made 14.9 3-pointers (third-most) and shot 39% (third-worst) from behind the arc.
Part of the Lakers’ 3-point defense woes are by design – a tradeoff with prioritizing protecting the paint.
They allow opponents to attempt a league-most 21.9 “wide-open” 3-point attempts – when the closest defender is at least 6 feet away from the shooter.
Opponents have attempted 23.1 wide-open 3s against the Lakers since the break. This includes the 24 the Kings attempted on Wednesday, making half (12) of those attempts as part of a 19-for-41 3-point shooting night.
The Lakers were often a step behind with trailing 3-point shooters around screens or overhelped on the Kings’ paint touches, leaving shooters open.
“That was one of the things we touched on,” Ham said. “Once we get the ball stopped in the paint, now shifting our vision, getting into scramble mode. We got two guys on the ball, 2½. We…
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