The Los Angeles Lakers have a new head coach in Darvin Ham, who replaced Frank Vogel after the team’s disappointing first-round exit in the 2023 NBA playoffs. Ham, who was an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks for four seasons, is known for his innovative and modern approach to the game. One of his main goals is to improve the Lakers’ 3-point shooting, which was one of their weaknesses last season.
Ham challenges Davis to shoot six 3s per game
One of the players who will be expected to increase his 3-point attempts is Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ star big man who averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game last season. Davis shot 28.8% from beyond the arc on 2.4 attempts per game, which was below his career average of 31.4% on 2.1 attempts.
Ham wants Davis to shoot more from the outside and has challenged him to take six 3-pointers per game, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“I want him, if he can – I know he won’t do it, but maybe he’ll shock me – but I’ve requested to see six 3-point attempts a game,” Ham said after practice Tuesday. “Three per half, at least. I wouldn’t put that on him if I didn’t think he was capable.”
Davis works on his 3-point shot in the offseason
Davis has reportedly been working on his 3-point shot in the offseason, and has shown some improvement in the preseason games. He made four out of seven 3-pointers in the Lakers’ win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, and said he feels more comfortable shooting from deep.
“I’ve been working on it a lot this summer,” Davis said. “Just trying to get more confident in it and just letting it fly. Coach Ham has been on me about shooting more threes and just being more aggressive from the perimeter.”
Davis also said he appreciates Ham’s confidence in him and his willingness to let him expand his game.
“He’s a great coach,” Davis said. “He lets us play our game, but he also holds us accountable. He wants us to be the best version of ourselves, and he’s always pushing us to get better.”
Ham hopes to make the Lakers a better 3-point shooting team
Ham’s challenge to Davis is part of his plan to make the Lakers a better 3-point shooting team overall. The Lakers ranked 25th in team 3-point percentage last season (34.6%), and 22nd in 2021-22 (34.7%). Ham believes that by increasing their volume and efficiency from beyond the arc, the Lakers can create more spacing and scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
“We have a lot of talent on this team, and we have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball,” Ham said. “We just have to trust each other and trust our shots. We have to take good shots and make good shots. That’s what we’re working on every day.”
Ham also said he wants the Lakers to play with more pace and ball movement, which he thinks will lead to more open shots.
“We want to play fast, but we also want to play smart,” Ham said. “We want to move the ball and find the best shot possible. We don’t want to settle for contested shots or force shots. We want to play as a team and make each other better.”
The Lakers will start their regular season on October 19 against the Phoenix Suns, who eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs last season. The Lakers hope that with their new coach and their improved 3-point shooting, they can bounce back and contend for another championship.
