Anthony Davis (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to his head coach Darvin Ham during Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, May 22, 2023. /CFP
Darvin Ham, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, wants the team's ace big man, Anthony Davis, to shoot six 3-pointers per game in the 2023-24 season.
"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 team practice on Tuesday. "Three per half, at least. I wouldn't put that on him if I didn't think he was capable."
The purple and gold were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last season in all three categories. They were 26th in attempts, 25th in 3-point rate and 24th in triples made per game of all 30 teams during the regular season.
Anthony Davis (#3) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots in the preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, October 7, 2023. /CFP
Despite his dominant performance in finishing and on defense, Davis has never been a sharp 3-point shooter. He averaged 0.5 triples at 30 percent per game during his career. Even in his champion season in the 2019-20 campaign, Davis made 1.2 triples at 33 percent per game, which was already his best performance from downtown.
"Just getting back to being a threat at all three levels," Davis said. "Not sure where it's at until we get into practices and games. Anybody can shoot in workouts and make shots when there's no pressure on them."
Though more and more teams have been asking their big men to shoot 3-pointers in recent years for better spacing on the offensive end, it is never an easy skill to master, especially for someone like Davis, who has been working in the paint to implement his offensive duties for most of his career.
Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets tries to deflect a shot by Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, May 18, 2023. /CFP
However, what Davis should improve is his ability to make 2-point jump shots. The Lakers didn't have the best spacing in the league when they won the title in 2020, but Davis shot to kill within the 3-point line, especially in the playoffs, that season. He lost that weapon since then and has faced more difficulties in scoring efficiently because the opponents' defenders always closed in to test his jump shooting. That explained why he struggled in front of Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets last season.
"We talk about getting more 3s up," Davis said. "Obviously, it's been a point of emphasis and the way the league has shifted, a lot of 3s. But they all came in rhythm," he added. "We just want to be confident in our shots and let it fly."
"That's something that he's worked on – being a more consistent shooter and not just more consistent in his [normal] areas but consistent from deep range," Ham added. "And not hesitating. Not overthinking it. So if he's got a good look, we've all encouraged him to put it up."