Lakers' Late Season Push: Real or Mirage?
Here's the thing about the Basketball Shooting League in Week 23: you thought you knew what was happening. The Boston Celtics, sitting atop the standings with a league-best 87.3% team shooting average from the field, looked untouchable. They've been consistent all year, hitting 14.5 threes per game, a mark that leads the entire league. Then the Los Angeles Lakers decided to show up.
Remember a few weeks back when the Lakers were hovering around .500, barely cracking the top eight? Well, they've ripped off seven straight wins, improving their team shooting percentage from 78.9% to 81.2% in just three weeks. LeBron James, at 39, is still draining 62% of his catch-and-shoot threes, a figure that frankly shouldn't be possible. And Anthony Davis? He's suddenly a legitimate threat from mid-range, hitting 55% of those shots in the last five games, a big jump from his season average of 42%.
But can they actually challenge Boston? Their schedule gets brutal in the final stretch, with games against the Celtics, Nuggets, and Bucks. Those are the teams that consistently rank in the top five for defensive shooting efficiency. The Lakers are hot, sure, but their overall season numbers still lag behind Boston's. The Celtics have scored 115 points per game, while the Lakers are at 108, even with their recent surge.
The Bottom Feeders: A Tight Relegation Scramble
Look, nobody wants to talk about relegation, but it's a very real threat for a few teams. The Orlando Magic, currently dead last, have been abysmal, averaging only 78 points per game and shooting a league-worst 68% from the field. Their leading scorer, Paolo Banchero, is only hitting 32% from three-point range, a number that just won't cut it in this league.
Right above them, though, it's a dogfight. The Charlotte Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs are separated by just one win, both hovering precariously close to the drop zone. The Hornets have been struggling defensively, allowing opponents to shoot 52% from the field, the third-worst mark in the league. Miles Bridges, their primary offensive weapon, is shooting 45% on contested shots, a significant dip from his 50% mark last season.
The Spurs, meanwhile, can't buy a bucket. Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent, no doubt, but the team's overall three-point percentage is a dismal 31%, ranking 28th. They've lost six of their last eight, scoring under 90 points in four of those losses. It's tough to see either of these teams finding a consistent rhythm to pull away. My money's on the Hornets eventually finding a way to survive, simply because they've shown flashes of competence on offense, whereas the Spurs often look completely lost when Wemby isn't carrying them.
The Overachievers and the Disappointments
Let's talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nobody picked them to be third in the standings, boasting an 83% team shooting average. Karl-Anthony Towns is having a career year from three, hitting 45% on over eight attempts per game. Anthony Edwards has elevated his mid-range game, converting 50% of those shots. They play with an intensity that's infectious, and their defensive rating is surprisingly elite, allowing just 98 points per 100 possessions.
On the flip side, the Golden State Warriors have been a massive letdown. They're sitting in ninth place, barely clinging to a play-in spot. Steph Curry is still Steph Curry, but the rest of the team's shooting has fallen off a cliff. Klay Thompson's three-point percentage has dipped to 37%, down from 41% last season, and his contested shot percentage is a career-low 30%. They just don't have the same offensive firepower, and their 25 turnovers per game are killing them.
Remember when the Warriors were hitting 16 threes a game consistently? This season, they're averaging 12.5. It's not just a small dip; it's a significant drop in their core identity. They're not getting the easy looks they used to, and their shot creation has become far too reliant on Curry heroics, which isn't sustainable for a full season.
A Look Back and Ahead
This season feels different from last year, especially at the top. Last year, the Denver Nuggets ran away with it, boasting a 90% team shooting average by Week 23, largely thanks to Nikola Jokic's incredible efficiency and their secondary scorers. This year, the top is tighter. Boston is great, but their 87.3% isn't quite the same dominant figure we saw from Denver. That means there's more room for a team like the Lakers to make a run, even if it's a long shot.
Defensively, the league has gotten a little softer. Last season, five teams held opponents under 45% shooting from the field. This year, only three teams are doing that. That's why we're seeing higher scoring games and more teams capable of putting up big numbers on any given night.
Bold prediction: The Boston Celtics will finish as the top seed, but the Minnesota Timberwolves will surprise everyone, making it to the finals, only to lose in a hard-fought series. The Warriors will miss the playoffs entirely, and the San Antonio Spurs will narrowly avoid relegation by winning two of their last three games against struggling opponents.