The NBA season is just around the corner and we should expect the 2020-2021 year to bring us plenty of joy as we head into the Christmas season. There will be playoff hopefuls, title contenders, and consistent tankers hoping to get their hands on Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham.
When looking back at last year's teams, some surprising stats were glossed over. Specifically, some of the best teams in the league had some glaring flaws. Will those teams be able to get over the hump? Take a look at three of the most shocking stats we didn't know about in 2019-2020.
The Lakers Were A Poor Outside Shooting Team
Assuming that the Lakers were going to make a three last season would have been a poor play for sites like vbet review. The Lakers ranked 21st in three-point field goal percentage and 20th in three-point field goals made per game last season. The pieces that left, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, were not great outside shooters. Coming into this season, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Wes Matthews all can produce from outside the three-point line. There is a real chance that the Lakers could go from bottom to top in just one season. The Lakers are best in transition with LeBron James and Anthony Davis running the floor, but in the halfcourt, some kind of offense must be in action. The management tried to retool this team with shooters, so let's see if the gamble pays off.
Blake Griffin Is A Poor Investment
This isn't just a stat from 2019, but his season last year didn't help the cause. In the last six seasons, Griffin has played (ending with the most recent season) 35, 61, 33, 25, 75, and 15 games respectively. Last season was the second-worst amount of games that he appeared in his career. When comparing the stats to the payout, Griffin has a case at owning one of the worst contracts in the league. He is owed about $36 million this season and $38 million next year. That's a lot of money for somebody that can stay on the court. In 2018, when Griffin played the most games since 2013, he averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. There is no denying the former No. 1 overall pick can play well. It's just that is a lot of money and it will be hard for Detroit to move him.
The Timberwolves Can't Defend Anybody
As a team, the Timberwolves ranked 27th in the league in points allowed (117.5). That also included ranking near the bottom in allowed field goal percentage, allowed three-point field goal percentage, as well as second-worst in allowed rebounds. The team's lone upgrade was Anthony Edwards, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick. Edwards wasn't known for defense in college. While the team is hoping that Edwards, D'Angelo Russell, and Karl-Anthony Towns can become an elite offense together, the defense needs major improvement before Minnesota ever competes. For now, it looks like this could be a bottom feeder in team defensive stats once again.
