Miami Heat: Can They Win Without Forming a Superteam Of Their Own?

Can Miami Heat Win Without A Superteam – Facing Los Angeles Lakers?

Let’s shift to the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook will be superstar playmaker for the Lakers who can provide relief for an aging LeBron.

Russ will also bring a boost of energy to a team that appeared to be lacking it at some points last season. Along with Anthony Davis, this trio can dominate with their athleticism and strength.

Unlike the Nets, the Lakers will be a good team defensively. Last season, the Lakers led the league with the highest team defensive rating in the NBA and with a rating of 106.8 points over 100 possessions, despite Davis and James only playing 36 and 45 games, respectively.

The thing that is scary about this squad is that they already won an NBA championship in 2020 and now they are adding a former MVP and NBA superstar in Russell Westbrook.

As great as the Lakers will be on both ends of the floor, they have some flaws that can be exposed. First, as currently constructed, they would be the worst shooting team in the NBA.

Russell Westbrook shoots below 31 percent from three for his career average. LeBron James was the only player currently on the roster to hit 100 three pointers last year.

As a reminder, he only played 45 games. While the Lakers are expected to add some shooting to their roster this offseason, they would currently be beatable by three pointers alone.

Three point shooting is not the only type of shooting the Lakers will struggle with. Last year, Westbrook shot a career-low 66 percent from the free throw line.

LeBron James shot just below 70 percent from the line. Although these two get to the line more than the average player, look no further than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ben Simmons last year to see how critical free throws are for late game situations.