4 things the Lakers need to sort out to make a playoff run

#2 Shooting struggles

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

It isn't a secret that the Lakers have 2 of the greatest passers in the history of the game in LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. They also have a really amazing playmaker in Lonzo on the roster, although the youngster will be out for a couple of weeks more with an ankle sprain. In addition, they also have Brandon Ingram (who's been played as a point forward in the absence of point guards in the roster in the past) and Lance Stephenson.

However, the roster-wide lack of spacing has really affected the effectiveness of the Lakers' plethora of ball-handling playmakers. Most drive-and-dish playtypes for the Lakers result in the opposition team locking the paint down and forcing the ball out of the ball handler's hands, while the likes of Ingram, Lonzo and Kuzma take a low-percentage open 3-point shot.

The Lakers need more screening actions to get their shooters open. They rank middle of the pack in screen assists per game, but given their lack of shooting, they really have to make the task of their existing shooters easier. This means more off-ball activity for the bigs on their roster, and greater intensity on the part of their 3-and-D specialists.