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Following a season in which the Los Angeles Lakers set a new low for the worst record in the history of their franchise, there are a lot of the things the team has to improve. Near the top of the list is their three-point shooting, especially now that they have a head coach who thinks it wins championships.
The Lakers weren't even close to the level of shooting required to win at a championship level over the course of the 2015-16 season, with their 31.7 percent success rate from behind the arc ranking as the worst percentage in the league. Their shooting ability, or lack thereof, really shot them in the foot when considering their 24.6 attempts per game were the 13th most of any team in the league.
Jordan Clarkson was responsible for 4.1 of those threes each game, and while he shot a respectable 34.7 percent, the third-year guard has been fairly vocal in his desire to improve his outside shot this offseason.
"I spend a lot of time in the gym," Clarkson told Silver Screen and Roll in an interview at his basketball camp last week. "A lot of shooting, a lot of reps. I did a lot of work last summer on my midrange stuff, but now I just want to be able to stretch my game out a little bit more. Shooting off the dribble and making plays behind the line."
Today we got a look at some of those reps, and the results of Clarkson's training seem fairly promising:
(good) #NBA players, @JClark5on, very rarely miss shots in training. The league is made for 90%'ers. #EGTShooting pic.twitter.com/FgfPWNxEyv
— Elite Guard Training (@EGTBasketball) June 16, 2016
As the tweet notes, NBA players like Clarkson shoot better in an open gym, but to see him confidently knocking down threes with a smooth stroke is a promising sign of his offseason development.
If Clarkson can be a league average or better shooter from behind the arc next year, his pairing alongside D'Angelo Russell in the backcourt will look a lot more seamless, while also keeping the floor properly spaced for the rest of his teammates' drives or post-ups.
The value of proper floor spacing is something Larry Nance, Jr. also emphasized in a recent interview, so it appears the effects of Luke Walton's Golden State Warriors inspired offensive philosophies might already be having an effect on his young players.
You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.