How Lakers Lead NBA in Shooting Despite Three-Point Struggles

The Lakers are sitting in one of the strangest statistical paradoxes in the league:
They are in the bottom 10 in three-point percentage (34.9%), yet somehow first in overall field-goal percentage (51.4%).

At first glance, that combination feels impossible. But when you dig into the numbers, it makes perfect sense, because the Lakers are absolutely destroying teams from everywhere except behind the arc.

Dominant Midrange and Paint Scoring

As a team, the Lakers are elite inside the arc:

• 1st in midrange FG%: 50.7%
• 1st in paint FG%: 54.7%

That’s why their overall efficiency is so high. The moment the ball gets inside 20 feet, the Lakers become one of the best offenses in basketball.

And nobody represents that better than Rui Hachimura.

Rui Hachimura: The Shooting Outlier

Rui has been nothing short of ridiculous:

• Midrange: 60.6%
• Three-point: 48.5%

These are star-level shooting splits. He’s the Lakers’ only reliable weapon from deep right now, and he’s legitimately the reason their spacing hasn’t completely collapsed.

If there’s a “bright spot” on this team’s shooting chart, it’s Rui. Full stop.

All-NBA Season stat leaders from the Lakers:

Luka Doncic: 1ST in PPG (35.1) & 4TH in APG (9.4)
Deandre Ayton: 2ND in FG% (70.7%)
Rui Hachimura: 2ND in 3P% (48.5%)

Does anything surprise you? 🤔💭 pic.twitter.com/hfxtdnbQVM

— SleeperLakers (@SleeperLakers) November 29, 2025

Deandre Ayton: The Silent Midrange Sniper

Another shocker: Ayton is shooting 72.7% from midrange.

He hasn’t taken a three all season, which is probably the correct choice, but inside that 12–18 foot range, he’s been incredibly efficient. Not high-volume, but extremely valuable.

Luka’s Volume Changes Everything

On pure percentages, Luka Dončić would rank near the top of every shooting category inside the arc. But because he carries one of the heaviest shot-creation loads in the NBA, it pushes his efficiency slightly down, not because he’s inaccurate, but because his attempts are so difficult.

Examples:

• Midrange: 3.7 attempts per game, 52.3%
• He takes far more contested midrange jumpers than Ayton or Rui, which naturally lowers the percentage.

Inside the paint:

• Luka: 5.5 attempts, 54.5%
• LeBron (four-game sample): 5.5 attempts, 54.5%
• Reaves: 5.0 attempts, 60%

And quietly:

• Marcus Smart leads the entire team at 64.3% in the paint.

Three-Point Shooting: The Ugly Truth

Now the problem.

The Lakers only have one rotation player shooting above 35% from three, Rui.

Everyone else?

• Luka: 34% on 11 attempts
• Reaves: 34.8% on 7.7 attempts
• LeBron: 33.3%
• Marcus Smart: 25.4%
• Team: 34.9% (bottom ten in the NBA)

The “second-tier” shooters are only fine:

• Gabe Vincent: 36.8%
• Jake LaRavia: 34.6%

And for fun:

• Jaxson Hayes: 1-for-1 on the season, elite efficiency.

But the reality is harsh:
The Lakers are an elite shooting team from almost everywhere, but an awful shooting team from three.

Teams Are Beginning to Adjust

LeBron summed up the situation perfectly after their last game when he was asked about the Lakers’ shooting woes:

“It won’t last. We’re not worried about it. We got too many good shooters it won’t last.”

Lebron on the Lakers shooting woes:

“It won’t last. We’re not worried about it. We got too many good shooters it won’t last” pic.twitter.com/roenjWBcHn

— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) November 24, 2025

While the looks that they are generating are good looks, the makes just aren’t there.

We’ve already seen the consequences in a recent game:

• The Jazz completely collapsed inside the arc against them in their last matchup.
• LA nearly blew a 13-point lead with five minutes left because they couldn’t punish Utah from deep.

This will continue until the Lakers prove they can make outside shots.

Rui Is Keeping the Offense Alive

There’s no other way to say it:

The Lakers would have one of the most cramped offenses in basketball if they didn’t have Rui Hachimura.

He’s the only consistent floor spacer.
He’s the only efficient volume shooter.
He’s the only threat defenses genuinely need to respect from deep at the moment.

Everyone else must catch up, or teams will keep forcing the Lakers into the exact shots they don’t want to take.