Lakers’ Home Stretch Is About Ping-Pong Balls and D’Angelo Russell Experiment

LOS ANGELES — Tanking is an ugly buzzword, but the Los Angeles Lakers (21-54) are in a blatant free fall.

On Thursday night, in a 119-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, point guard Ricky Rubio torched the Lakers for a career-high 33 points. On the other side of the box score, guard D’Angelo Russell recorded just 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting (2-of-8 from three) while dishing six assists with five turnovers.

Russell has spent most of his young career as the Lakers’ starting point guard, but for the past six games, coach Luke Walton has gone with Jordan Clarkson at the 1 while sliding Russell over to the 2.

The Minnesota loss was an aberration for Russell. The Ohio State product has looked reinvigorated at shooting guard over the previous five, averaging 24.6 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.

L.A.’s free fall gives the team an opportunity to put things like this to the test, which begs the question as this franchise rebuilds: What position should the 6’5″ Russell be playing?

Bad game against Minnesota aside, Russell has looked good as the team’s newest starting shooting guard. Against the Washington Wizards (46-29) on Tuesday, Russell had one of his best nights of the season with 28 points and nine assists. That’s the good news.

After competing for about three-and-a-half quarters in that showdown, the Lakers let the Wizards pull away, 119-108. That’s the really good news if you consider ping-pong balls and draft positioning wins for L.A. this time of year.

The 29th-place Lakers have just two victories since the All-Star break, but it’s foolhardy to place the blame on Russell. The franchise is in the unenviable spot of owing not just its 2017 first-rounder to the Philadelphia 76ers but also its 2019 first to the Orlando Magic if it falls outside the top three in this summer’s draft.

If the Lakers land in the top three, they’ll instead lose just one to Philadelphia in 2018, along with a couple of second-rounders to the Magic.

That’s why it’s so important for Los Angeles to stay “ahead” of the third-place Phoenix Suns (22-54). Currently, the odds for the Lakers are 55.8 percent for a top-three selection. Should they finish tied with Phoenix, that dips to 51.4 percent and then 46.9 percent if they finish 28th overall.

Fate may come down to odds that are either slightly better or slightly worse than a coin toss.

Both the Lakers and Suns are gaming the system, sitting veterans such as Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Nick Young, Tyson Chandler, Eric Bledsoe and others, while L.A.’s front office dealt scoring dynamo Lou Williams before the trade deadline to the Houston Rockets.

The strategy is working for both. Los Angeles is behind Phoenix in the standings despite the Suns dropping 10 straight, including one that featured a stunning 70-point scoring outburst from second-year shooting guard Devin Booker.

 

The Lakers passed on Booker with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA draft (choosing Russell), but then so did the next 10 teams until the Suns hit a jackpot at No. 13.

That’s not to suggest Russell won’t prove to be a home run for the Lakers. Both are tremendous young prospects on losing teams, and Russell has the added appeal of having multi-position capability, which means L.A. can theoretically target both backcourt positions in the upcoming draft.

At just 21 years old, Russell compares well to some of the league’s top guards from their sophomore years, such as James Harden, John Wall and Damian Lillard. He is arguably the best point guard drafted since 2014, but his production has climbed since the move to the 2.

“The insertion of Clarkson into the starting lineup has catalyzed Russell’s emergence more than a positional distinction has,” video analyst Pete Zayas of Laker Film Room said. “Russell is still the primary ball-handler and playmaker when they’re together, but Clarkson’s ball-handling capabilities allow Russell to operate off of the ball as well, which wasn’t a viable option with Young.”

One of Russell’s strengths is shooting off the catch. The above clip shows Russell getting a wide-open look in the corner, off a play the Lakers usually ran for Young with Russell up top instead of Clarkson.

Instead of bringing the ball up against pressure, Russell is able to get open off a Tarik Black screen, where he’s able to take advantage of a late-arriving defender.

Russell’s skills aren’t defined by position. He will look to make the right play to a teammate regardless of where he’s slotted, which is why his assist numbers are up since the shift to the 2.

 

Against Washington this week, Russell’s versatility gave the Lakers a chance to win against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. And that’s exactly where this team should want to be: in position to win because of its young guard without actually winning.

“The [Wizards] changed their coverage to get the ball out of his hands,” Walton said. “Instead of forcing it, even though he was hot, [Russell] was making the nice little circle bounce pass to the bigs rolling to the basket or the skip pass to the weakside shooter.”

Russell is also more aggressive to attack the basket. Through 53 games in which Russell was designated as the starting point guard, he averaged 2.8 free-throw attempts a game. Over the last five, he’s gotten to the line 5.2 times a night.

Managing pace in the NBA is a skill. Washington’s John Wall is among the fastest at his position. He gave the Lakers a particularly difficult time with 34 points and 14 assists.

Russell plays with more of a nonchalance or ease, but that shouldn’t be mistaken as a lack of effort. In recent games, Russell seems less inhibited as a scorer. Freed up from the team’s primary playmaking responsibility, he’s getting his shots up while still getting time at the point and racking up assists at either spot.

 

The wins aren’t there, but the Lakers can’t afford victories anyway.

In the meantime, the team is getting a look at the Clarkson/Russell pairing. More specifically, it’s getting a look at a future where Russell can play the 1 or the 2. If the Lakers win the lottery, they will have the opportunity to further invest in their backcourt with a number of high-level point guard prospects in the draft.

Lonzo Ball (UCLA) or Markelle Fultz (Washington) may be atop the list. Ball is a true point with a strange-looking but accurate outside shot. Fultz is a dynamic scorer with more experience running the pick-and-roll than Ball.

Ball’s Bruins fell in the Sweet 16 to Kentucky, which raises the question: Should the Lakers consider Wildcats Malik Monk or De’Aaron Fox?

Monk is a high-level scorer and shooter, while Fox is an athletic, scoring playmaker.

Flutz’s Huskies didn’t make the NCAA tournament.

Mohammad Dakhil of thejumpball.net, former video coordinator of the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers, said he’d take either Ball or Fultz with one of the top two picks, although he prefers Ball in the backcourt with Russell.

“He’ll fit right into Luke Walton’s system of pushing the ball and running. I think he’s a good get for the Lakers, but I worry about [Ball and Russell] defensively,” Dakhil said. “Fultz and Russell are too similar.”

Dakhil actually likes Fox as the best fit with Russell, given how poorly the Lakers have defended in recent years.

“[Fox] can put his resume together just off that UCLA game,” Dakhil continued. “He was offensively on fire, but he really took it to Ball on the defensive end. That really opened my eyes. He picked up [Ball] full court; he was into him, all the way. My biggest concern is that [Fox] is not a great three-point shooter yet.”

Dakhil has concerns about Ball and Fultz defensively but ranks them higher on talent alone. If the Lakers get the third pick, Fox is a viable selection if the Lakers opt to keep Russell at the point.

One Western Conference executive believes the Lakers should keep Russell as the lead guard.

“I think his best trait is his ability to pass, so I’d probably want him on the ball more,” the executive told Bleacher Report. “I wouldn’t think a point guard [in the draft] would be best with him.”

If the Lakers agree and stay away from one of the top guards, Dakhil noted that Kansas’ Josh Jackson would be a nice fit as a defensive-minded forward.

The team’s front office would like nothing more than the opportunity to debate which player to take in June’s draft.

If the Lakers don’t get lucky in the lottery, they might do well to add a veteran point guard in free agency, such as George Hill, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison or Jeff Teague. Russell would play the 2, and Clarkson would be the third guard off the bench.

That’s assuming the Lakers aren’t an attractive destination for potential free agents Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowry or Chris Paul. Given the Lakers’ record the past few years, even the second-tier point guards may be difficult to land.

If Russell is best served as the team’s point guard moving forward, the Lakers may need to look for shooting guard help in free agency.

Young is likely to opt out of the final year of his contract at $5.7 million. He can score but does little else.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be a strong fit defensively, although he’ll be a restricted free agent with the Detroit Pistons. Also restricted, Andre Roberson (Oklahoma City Thunder) isn’t as steady a shooter as Caldwell-Pope but is a high-level defender.

Outside of veterans such as J.J. Redick and Dwyane Wade, the list of available players is short at the position. The Lakers may be better off with Russell at shooting guard with help brought in via the draft or free agency at the point.

Clarkson, who is under contract for three more seasons, can also play either backcourt position as a starter or reserve.

Russell himself is ambivalent about being labeled.

“Whatever position they have me on the court, I’m a basketball player, not a point guard or a shooting guard,” Russell said.

That Russell has the size and is versatile enough to play multiple positions is a strength. Adding a dynamic point guard such as Ball to Walton’s offense would be a significant step for the Lakers.

Regardless of position, the rebuilding Lakers need to continue to add talent until they find the next star(s) to lead them back to respectability.

 

Lakers Insider Notebook

David Nwaba Providing Defensive Spark

On March 19, Rookie David Nwaba made the most of the final game of his second 10-day contract with seven points and a highlight block of All-Star Kyrie Irving in a five-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When the clock struck midnight, Nwaba became a free agent, unsure if he would return to the Lakers or the D-Fenders in the NBA Development League. By Tuesday, Nwaba inked a two-year deal with the Lakers worth up to $1.4 million if the team takes his option for the 2017-18 season.

“It’s definitely a relief. I’m excited for the opportunity,” Nwaba said. “Coming from Cal Poly, no one has ever made it to the NBA.”

Undrafted, Nwaba struggled to get an invitation to a summer-league squad or training camp. Even the overseas interest was tepid, so instead he tried out for the D-League. There, he inspired the D-Fenders enough to acquire his rights from the Reno Bighorns at the start of the season.

Including the $63,938 he earned for his previous 20-day stint, Nwaba will earn $137,466 in total for the current season with the Lakers.

Although his numbers aren’t gaudy, averaging just 4.6 points a game through 15 appearances, the Lakers like his defensive energy on the court.

“We have been impressed by David’s focus and determination, especially on defense,” new Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said. “He has a mentality about him that is infectious, and he works hard every day to improve himself. He has brought energy to both our Lakers and D-Fenders games and has certainly earned his spot on the roster.”

Nwaba was overwhelmed by Pelinka’s statement but is also aware he needs to earn his non-guaranteed contract for next season.

“That’s great to hear,” Nwaba said. “I’ve just got to keep giving 100 percent effort every day.”

Walton has used superlatives like “fantastic” and “excellent” to describe Nwaba’s defensive contribution to the squad.

In Tuesday’s loss to the Wizards, Nwaba sent a Kelly Oubre attempt deep into the stands.

 

“I used to play volleyball,” Nwaba said. “I didn’t realize it was going to go that far.”

 

Idle Young Nears Lakers’ Three-Point Record

With 170 made three-pointers, Nick Young has seven games to set the Lakers’ franchise mark, which Nick Van Exel holds at 183. 

Van Exel hit that mark through the 1994-95 season. Bryant was close back in 2005-06, notching 180 made three-pointers.

Van Exel also hit 177 in 1996-97. Chucky Atkins converted 176 in 2004-05.

The challenge for Young will be getting back on the court to get even a single attempt up. Walton hasn’t played the veteran since March 17, opting instead to start Russell and look at Nwaba at shooting guard.

Young has averaged just over 2.8 makes per game through 60 appearances. If he plays in every remaining game and matches that rate, he’ll finish with the Lakers’ record with 190 made three-pointers.

Instead, with Young currently out of the rotation, Van Exel’s record seems likely to survive.

Improving Ingram Sidelined

 

Despite sitting out his third straight game Thursday with knee tendinitis, forward Brandon Ingram remains the league leader for minutes as a rookie at 2,110.

The Lakers drafted the 19-year-old in June with the No. 2 pick, after the freshman hit 41.0 percent from three-point range and 44.2 percent from the field.

The transition to the NBA was not an easy one.

Ingram shot 34.4 percent from the field in November and 33.6 percent in December.

After a minor jump in January (37.7 percent), Ingram showed true improvement in February (43.7 percent) and now through 11 March games, he’s hit an impressive 51.7 percent.

Ingram was better from three-point range in February (35.5 percent) than March (30.0 percent), but his overall shooting efficiency has trended upward throughout his rookie campaign.

The Lakers may be overprotective of Ingram’s sore knee. They’ve already seen him show tremendous growth throughout the season.

 

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are accurate as of March 30. Video clips provided by Laker Film Room unless otherwise noted. Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

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NBA Metrics 101: Best Seasons That Didn’t Result in MVP

Not every great season in NBA history is rewarded with an MVP trophy. 

This year, another all-time campaign will go unrecognized. If Russell Westbrook ends up holding the Maurice Podoloff Trophy after averaging a season-long triple-double, James Harden will be left out. The reverse will hold true if the bearded guard is the voters’ favorite. And either way, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James won’t be given enough credit for their incredible efforts. 

But will any of these current studs submit one of the best seasons in NBA history that didn’t result in an MVP? In addition to ranking the top 20 (limited to one per player), this article will also let you know where those aforementioned superstars would sit if they maintained their current level of play until the end of the regular season and then failed to win the most prominent individual award. 

As always in the Metrics 101 series, the rankings will be determined in wholly objective fashion. 

We’re drawing from a pool of 105 individual seasons earned by 54 different contributors throughout NBA history. Those 105 featured players on the losing ends of MVP races still drew enough love from voters to earn at least 0.3 MVP shares, which typically means they were either the No. 2 finisher during a runaway season from the actual winner or in contention with multiple players during a tight year. Either way, they were highly relevant to the basketball landscape. 

Within that group, ranks were determined in each of the following categories: 

• Player efficiency rating (PER), which rewards both volume and efficiency while giving a boost to those who engage in the most high-scoring exploits. 
• Win shares (WS), which boost to players who A) play a lot, B) play effectively and C) play for winning teams.
• NBA Math’s total points added (TPA), which account for total value more than the offensively tilted PER. TPA only dates back to 1973-74, so all eligible seasons prior to its inception didn’t see this metric factor into the equation.

All 105 qualified seasons had their ranks in each category averaged, using stats heading into games on March 26.

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Dwight Howard Discusses Kobe Bryant, Magic Career, More with ‘The Undefeated’

Dwight Howard has been portrayed as a malcontent for much of his career, but he attempted to clear the air this week with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

As he explained it, the problems started with the Orlando Magic when he asked for a trade, specifically to the Brooklyn Nets, before the 2011-12 season:

Before the season even started during the lockout, I asked them privately, I even talked to [teammate] Jameer [Nelson] and [then-general manager] Otis [Smith] and I said, ‘Hey, I just want a change in my life. It has nothing to do with [then-coach] Stan Van Gundy. This has nothing to do with the players here in Orlando. It has nothing to do with Orlando itself.’ I just felt I was too comfortable and I wanted more for myself and more for basketball.

Those in the front office apparently agreed to make a deal but changed their mind the next day.

The result was numerous stories discrediting the young center who had won three straight Defensive Player of the Year Awards. However, he hopes to be remembered fondly by Orlando’s fans.

“I got to change that city. Change the way they viewed basketball. Change the way they viewed basketball players.”

Howard’s problems were not limited to the Magic. His time with the Houston Rockets ended with a “feud” with James Harden, but the big man dismissed those concerns as well.

“The issues they say happened between me and James were small communication issues.”

As for Kobe Bryant, “There was never an issue with me and him.”

He was upset about how he was portrayed with the Lakers, however. Despite coming off back surgery and suffering a torn labrum, he did lead the league in rebounding.

“I laid my life out because I wanted to win.”

Howard also noted he hasn’t spoken to Bryant since leaving Los Angeles in 2013.

The 31-year-old is apparently content with the Atlanta Hawks these days, averaging 13.1 points and 12.9 rebounds per game while helping the squad remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Further, there haven’t been stories about any problems with teammates. It appears returning to his hometown was what he needed.

“We can do something special here,” Howard said. “This team has always been close to my heart even while being in the NBA. It was tough to come play here. It was tough to watch them in the playoffs and see them lose. This place has always been special to me.”

Howard—who said he is a “no doubt” Hall of Famer—will now try to do whatever he can to bring home a title for his city.

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Rob Pelinka Discusses State of Lakers in Introductory Press Conference

The Los Angeles Lakers formally introduced Rob Pelinka as their new general manager Friday, and he outlined his vision for the organization during a press conference that was attended by president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. 

Once the presser got underway, the Lakers tweeted out a photo of Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, seated alongside the Purple and Gold ownership contingency: 

During his opening remarks, Johnson praised the Lakers’ new GM for all he accomplished as one of the NBA‘s premier agents and touched on Pelinka‘s relationship with Bryant as a factor that influenced his decision, as NBA TV documented on Twitter:  

Speaking of Bryant, Pelinka spoke of his former client and dear friend in glowing terms, via NBA TV: 

Pelinka also disclosed he has “absolutely” discussed the possibility of Bryant getting involved with the front office in some capacity, per the Los Angeles Daily News‘ Mark Medina. 

As far as the future of the franchise is concerned, Pelinka didn’t hold back regarding the state of the team’s roster.

“We have some strong really young talent on this team, but we have to get better talent for Luke to coach,” he said, according to Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters. 

Speaking of the team’s young nucleus—which currently includes D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram, among others—Johnson told reporters there’s still plenty of development that needs to occur. 

“All of them has to get more consistent,” he said, per Medina. “Everyone of them across the board.”

On a more macro level, Pelinka appeared to start his pitch to potential free agents a few months early as he spoke at length about recruiting top players to come suit up at Staples Center. 

According to Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell, Pelinka has already started to sketch out a blueprint regarding the team’s future targets: 

“Every single agent knows that (the Lakers) are the best platform…we want to tap into all that is Los Angeles,” Pelinka added, per Trudell. 

Looking ahead, Pelinka left no doubt about what his primary goal is when it comes to leading the Lakers back to a place of prosperity. 

“When players talk about the Lakers, we want that to be what everyone is chasing in terms of how they’re treated, how they’re coached,” he said, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Tania Ganguli. 

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Lakers Show Loyalty Matters More Than Family with New Magic-Pelinka Front Office

LOS ANGELES — The buzzword in L.A. is “family,” because everyone has one and it’s natural to rubberneck when someone else’s has run itself off the road…especially when the folks can afford much more than a minivan.

The business, though, is basketball.

And for this business that happens to be run by Jerry Buss’ family, what matters a lot more than family is loyalty.

The Magic Johnson management era should be bringing a whole lot more of that, even if Jeanie Buss isn’t his sister by blood.

Basketball decisions are sharpest when they’re inspired and creative yet also vetted by others—even if those people don’t have the pedigree in an NBA front office of a Mitch Kupchak.

That’s why hope abounds amid all the inexperience in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ executive branch right now. The newest piece, Rob Pelinka, will be introduced Friday as Kupchak’s replacement in the office of general manager.

Pelinka has made a life of being the man behind the man—from being a role player on three NCAA Final Four teams with the “Fab Five” at Michigan to a prominent sports agent who supported Kobe Bryant through everything, including his sexual assault trial. In some cases, Pelinka has been the man behind the woman; his wife has her own career as a pediatrician in Orange County, California.

And he knows of loyalty in his line of work, controversially maximizing Carlos Boozer’s earnings at the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ expense or, most clearly to Lakers president Jeanie Buss, in how Bryant has stood with Pelinka for so long when few associates have survived Bryant’s never-ending cycles for new, better and more.

The family feeling that Jeanie prefers was never going to happen with how closed-off Jim Buss and Kupchak were. But her aspirations for it are evident in choosing two people as replacements whom she knows pretty well—Johnson and Pelinka—to do jobs they have never done before.

What Johnson and Pelinka—and even newbie head coach Luke Walton—don’t know requires them to be more inclusive and candid as they try to grow and learn. The openness has been obvious already in Johnson’s first weeks with the team and Pelinka’s first days, according to team sources.

No hidden agendas. Greater democracy.

And full loyalty to the Lakers.

Johnson has long yearned to run the Lakers’ basketball operations, in part to continue his connection with Jerry Buss. Well, Pelinka, too, has hoped to be Lakers GM longer than he might admit publicly.

That desire goes back far longer than Johnson’s arrival on the scene in recent months, and was essentially realized the day Johnson took over, when Pelinka was the clear choice to take over as GM on the day Kupchak was fired.

There just has to be a balance between personal goals and loyalty.

Jerry West was interested in returning to the Lakers, where son Ryan has carved out a useful role with the old and new regime, but, though Jeanie Buss will forever revere Jerry, he didn’t match her vision for the future, according to NBA sources. Bryant is loyal to Pelinka, but Bryant is sticking to his personal plan to stay focused on business pursuits rather than maximizing his basketball legend or taking on any actual Lakers role under new management.

Ask people around the league about Pelinka, and you most assuredly will not get universal rave reviews about what a warm, fuzzy sweetheart he is. Perhaps that’s because he has been operating out of loyalty to his clients and saving his best people skills for representing them. Time will tell.

Johnson likes to cite the opportunities he had to join other NBA front offices. It’s part bombast, sure, yet ultimately pride in his own loyalty.

And as Johnson and Pelinka build their new careers, that will be their challenge: meshing their egos from their past successes with an unwavering faithfulness to what’s best for the Lakers’ future.

Jeanie Buss is banking on this critical difference as well as her belief that Magic is a lot more like Jerry than like Jim—seeking out other voices in building up his businesses, looking to involve more people with undervalued opinions, setting others up to score instead of trying to be the hero, communicating openly with Jeanie and fans alike and inspiring loyalty back from those he reaches.

Then the Lakers might someday have something strong at the top again.

It’s apropos that Kupchak’s last big move was solidified at a late hour from a nearly empty office that featured only Jim Buss and Kupchak—with Kupchak’s cap-specialist assistant, Glenn Carraro, there to officiate more than regulate. All others had left, and Buss and Kupchak alone made a decision that already looks fateful in more ways than one: to lavish free agent Luol Deng with a four-year, $72 million contract and compromise the Lakers’ long-held salary-cap space for a worn-down non-difference-maker at the very position they’d just drafted Brandon Ingram to own.

How much Kupchak’s decision to spend last summer was tied to Jim Buss’ promise to step down if the Lakers didn’t reach contention this season is difficult to quantify, but Jeanie sure didn’t take it as being loyal to the Lakers.

Kupchak is under contract for all of next season, so it could have made some sense to keep him around. But there were other issues in actual job performance—reasons why Johnson didn’t vouch for Kupchak, a longtime Laker, to stay on.

The GM position is all about the details, and despite Johnson’s previous verbal takedowns targeting Jim, Jeanie and Magic weren’t happy with reports of Kupchak’s shortcomings alongside Jim, either.

There was too much evidence of Kupchak’s work ethic weakening, his knowledge of the league’s players being less than encyclopedic, his inability to play the behind-the-scenes game to get you-scratch-my-back benefits from agents, his tendency to trade draft picks to make bad contracts go away and his outright complacency in managing the draft-pick protections in the Steve Nash trade.

Pelinka’s job now is to be a devil in dealing with those details.

Via his allegiance to Kobe, Pelinka has been in some way part of the Lakers’ “family” for a long time. But this is different.

And it should be different now.

As we look back on it, Jeanie and Jim had loyalty to their father more than to the family.

Definitely not loyalty to each other, as that wasn’t anywhere close to earned.

Not even loyalty to the Lakers, really, in letting the mismanagement go on as long as it did.

That’s all over now. It’s time to try again.

 

Kevin Ding is an NBA senior writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.

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Issues That Magic Johnson Must Address as LA Lakers’ New Leader

With the playoffs nowhere in sight, Los Angeles Lakers fans knew the clock was running out on Jim Buss’ tenure as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations. But it was still a shocker when the Lakers moved Earvin “Magic” Johnson into that role coming out of the All-Star break.

L.A. has lost eight of its last 10 games and all five since the front office purge. Clearly, a reset alone won’t solve everything for a team that has fallen so far off the map in recent years.

But the story is about what lies ahead, not the water under the bridge. It’s time for Magic to roll up his sleeves and get busy.

This is a leader with some major issues on his plate.

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Stephen Curry Passes Kobe Bryant for 11th Most 3-Pointers in NBA History

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry continued his assault on the record books Thursday, passing Kobe Bryant for 11th all-time in made three-pointers.

Curry knocked down the shot in the third quarter of Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. The three gave the Warriors a 63-59 lead midway through the period.

Curry, 28, may own every three-point record by the time his career is finished. In 2015-16, he set the NBA record for most threes made (402) and attempted (886) in a single season. And he trails only Steve Kerr (45.4 percent) and Hubert Davis (44.0 percent) in career three-point percentage as Curry has made 43.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

The all-time record for made three-pointers is within his grasp, too. Ray Allen currently holds the record with 2,973 made three-point field goals, a mark Curry could feasibly break within the next five years. Given that Golden State’s sharpshooter has made at least 230 threes in five straight seasons, he’s on pace to catch Allen before long.

You likely won’t find many folks betting against the two-time defending MVP and four-time All-Star.

Still, Curry’s mindset will be on leading the Warriors to their second NBA title in the past three seasons. With Kevin Durant in the fold, the Warriors have been the favorites to do just that since the summer. 

But along the way, Curry might move up a few more spots on the three-point leaderboard. He now has Chauncey Billups (1,830 threes) and Joe Johnson (1,902 threes) in his crosshairs. As the Warriors continue to win, Curry continues to carve his name into the record books.

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