Top 5 shooters on LA Lakers' roster for the 2021-22 NBA season

The LA Lakers look to return to championship form after an early playoff exit vs the Phoenix Suns
The LA Lakers look to return to championship form after an early playoff exit vs the Phoenix Suns

The LA Lakers look set to enter the 2021-22 season as title hopefuls. In doing so, they have also tried to find solutions for one of their glaring flaws. In an attempt to come back from a disappointing early playoff exit, the Lakers have made some huge additions to their roster.

One of the biggest issues the Lakers faced, outside of injuries that affected their players, was their shooting. In an era where teams are heavily relying on three-point shots to score, the LA Lakers came up short in their pursuit of matching the trend.

Shooting 34.9% from behind the arc for the season, the Lakers were ranked 23rd in the NBA. Keeping this in mind, the Purple and Gold attempted to make some drastic changes to their lineup in hopes of revitalizing their offensive potential from distance.

With Lebron James entering the twilight of his career, the Lakers had to make moves to win an NBA title as soon as possible. Keeping in mind the recent signings, here are the top five shooters on the LA Lakers roster for 2021-22 season.


#5 Kendrick Nunn

Signing Kendrick Nunn was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason
Signing Kendrick Nunn was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason

Kendrick Nunn was acquired by the Lakers using the taxpayer mid-level exception in NBA Free Agency. Entering his third season in the NBA, the acquisition of Nunn is one of the most underrated moves this offseason.

Nunn is a solid guard to have. He has experience playing in competitive environments. Having been part of the Miami Heat squad that met the LA Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals, Kendrick Nunn showed that he could score and score in bunches.

As a shooter, Nunn is a good addition to the squad. He can spread the floor with his shooting but he is also gifted while driving to the basket.

Nunn averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the 2020-21 season. He also shot 38.1% from beyond the arc, which was an improvement from the 35% shooting from deep he had displayed in the 2019-20 season.


#4 Malik Monk

Malik Monk can prove to be a legitimate scoring threat on the LA Lakers
Malik Monk can prove to be a legitimate scoring threat on the LA Lakers

Malik Monk is another shooter who is a great addition to the LA Lakers lineup. With the departure of many key players, the addition of Monk is an attempt at filling the gap left on the shooting front.

Monk played the 2020-21 season with the Charlotte Hornets. While only playing 42 games and coming off the bench for all of them, Malik Monk showed the ability to score points quickly. Although his shooting is streaky, he has the potential to be a consistent spot-up shooter.

Monk averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Hornets last season. He shot 40.1% from beyond the arc which was a massive improvement over his 28.4% shooting from downtown in the 2019-20 season.

#3 Kent Bazemore

Kent Bazemore drives to the basket against Luka Doncic
Kent Bazemore drives to the basket against Luka Doncic

Kent Bazemore was signed by the LA Lakers early in NBA Free Agency. Having been a Laker in the past, Bazemore spent the 2020-21 season playing with the Golden State Warriors.

Bazemore is another great addition to the Lakers roster for the upcoming season. As a veteran, Bazemore can offer serious scoring punches off the bench and can also contribute as a serviceable defender.

Because of his long wingspan and athleticism, Bazemore is able to move his feet and get to spots to make key defensive plays. On the offensive end he is capable of contributing as someone who can cut to the basket, create his own shot off the drive or someone who can spot-up for a three-pointer in the corner.

Kent Bazemore averaged 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the 2020-21 season. While these numbers are not awe inspiring, he shot 40.8% from beyond the arc. Having had a career year from downtown, Bazemore only attempted 2.7 threes for the season. If required to take more, there is a possible upside.


#2 Carmelo Anthony

Entering his 19th NBA season, Carmelo Anthony can still be a reliable shooter
Entering his 19th NBA season, Carmelo Anthony can still be a reliable shooter

Carmelo Anthony was one of the biggest names to join the Lakers in the offseason. Having been part of the same draft class as LeBron James, Anthony looks to bring solid veteran experience and scoring prowess to the team.

Anthony has been one of the most gifted scoring minds in the history of the NBA. From his ability to score in midrange to his performance in clutch situations, Carmelo Anthony is a certified bucket. Anthony spent most of last season coming off the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers.

During his time with Portland, he was a productive member of the team. Having gone to two playoffs with them consecutively, Anthony took some of the scoring duties off of Damian Lillard.

As a shooter, Carmelo Anthony's record speaks for itself. Anthony averaged 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds last season while shooting 42.9% from the field. He also shot 40.9% from three-point territory which is a major upside as it was a career-best for him.


#1 Wayne Ellington

Wayne Ellington is statsitically the best three-point shooter on the Lakers side
Wayne Ellington is statsitically the best three-point shooter on the Lakers side

Wayne Ellington is the probably the best signing for the LA Lakers purely in terms of shooting ability. After the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Lakers needed a solid spot-up shooter who could also defend guards for them. While Ellington doesn't give them much defensively, as a shooter he definitely fits the bill.

Having played the 2020-21 season with the Detroit Pistons, Ellington was an important part of the guard rotation. Averaging 9.6 points and 1.8 rebounds for the season, Ellington shot 42.2% from behind the three-point line.

That was the second-best three-point shooting percentage of his career. Coming off of a 35% shooting year with the New York Knicks, there is some hope for improved shooting with the Lakers as well.

Ellington does not provide much outside of his shooting from beyond the arc, so it is unknown as to how he will contribute to the scoring. But if his shooting resembles his average from last season, it does legitimize him as a threat from deep.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar