After being a point of contention for so long, the Lakers’ free throw numbers have drastically shifted since acquiring Luka Dončić.
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Few things have caused more crash outs by opponents and fans surrounding the Lakers in recent years than free throw shooting. Multiple head coaches, from Monty Williams with the Suns to Darko Rajakovic of the Raptors, have been fined for postgame meltdowns regarding who took more trips to the charity stripe.
No matter how simple the explanations were, the anger never subsided. And one would have been fair to assume that bringing in Luka Dončić would only exacerbate that perceived discrepancy. Last season, Luka was third in the league in free throws attempted per game.
However, quite surprisingly, the opposite has happened.
Since Luka has arrived in LA, the Lakers have gone from first in free throw differential to middle of the pack in the league.
Free-throw differential since Anthony Davis’ last game as a Laker (Jan. 28):
1. Warriors (+106)
16. Lakers (-5) https://t.co/RUpK61o3NZ
— pickuphoop (@pickuphoop) April 1, 2025
Let’s break it down a bit. Since Jan. 28 the Lakers are seventh in the league in free throws attempted per game at 23.5. Prior to Anthony Davis’ last game, they were 12th in free throw attempts per contest at 22.9.
So, predictably, the free throws have gone up. Which means the change is on the other end.
With AD in the middle of the court, the Lakers allowed just 18.3 free throws per game, the second-fewest. Since his departure, they have plummeted to 25th, allowing 23.6 attempts per game.
If he were still eligible for the award, this would be another mark in AD’s Defensive Player of the Year case.
It’s not entirely AD simply not being there anymore. The Lakers have employed a different style of defense than they did with AD that lends itself to more fouling.
With Davis on the court, their offense was built around funnelling players to him at the rim, to simplify things. Without him, they’ve flown around the court more, switched more and been forced to be more aggressive.
With AD, they committed the fewest fouls per game. Without him, they’ve moved up to 23rd, committing three more fouls per game.
It’s a small change, but one with a simple explanation. Thankfully, it also means fewer disingenuous complaints about their free throw disparity.
