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One of the Lakers’ big weaknesses last year was their bench production.
During the regular season, LA’s reserves scored just 29.3 points per game, the second-worst mark in the NBA. Things didn’t get much better in the playoffs. The backups scored 21.6 points per game, which was bottom-four in the postseason.
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It should be no surprise, then, that the Lakers moved quickly to bring in Collin Sexton, who was officially announced on Sunday, to bolster their bench this season.
Last season, Sexton averaged 15.4 points and shot 48.5% from the field and 40.1% from the 3-point line. He did that as a backup for both the Hornets and Bulls and the hope is that he can replicate that with the Lakers.
Sexton’s first-step burst is what separates him from the pack. He can drive on anyone and, thanks to his agility, he can contort his body near the basket to score in the paint even against the most physical defenders.
In a league that’s increasingly becoming about being able to catch and shoot, Sexton is a great balance of new and old-school.
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Sexton had 183 catch-and-shoot attempts and converted on 43.7%. For context, these numbers would’ve made Sexton fourth-highest on the Lakers in catch-and-shoot attempts. His shooting percentage on these attempts would’ve been second-best on the roster for those who took at least 150 shots.
At the rim, he had a whopping 204 attempts and made 64.7% of his baskets. The only guard on the Lakers who took more attempts at the rim last year was Luka Dončić at 255. And on the bench, no backcourt player was able to get to the rim better than Sexton. Luke Kennard had just 59 shots at the rim, and Marcus Smart took 61.
He also took 232 field-goal attempts with zero dribbles, but he also attempted 194 shots on 3-6 dribbles and a whopping 150 with seven-plus dribbles.
Sexton was most efficient when he took 3-6 dribbles, making 50.5% of those shots.
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His comfort with the ball makes him a great option to run the offense behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. And on the nights one of them is unavailable, he can be slotted in the starting lineup.
Sexton isn’t just a scorer. He…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-officially-signed-collin-sexton-173404635.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-12 17:34:00
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