2 glaring flaws risk derailing the Lakers (and how they can fix them)

With a new coach and a mostly intact roster, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that minor tweaks will go a long way this season. The Lakers are known for making big offseason moves but opted for continuity in the hope that coach JJ Redick can help unlock their full potential.

While he will have LeBron James and Anthony Davis to work with, the Lakers' rosters have some limitations too that he will have to try and correct. Last season, the Lakers were middle of the road on both ends of the floor, ranking 15th in offensive rating and 16th in defensive efficiency.

Part of the reason why they struggled as a team on offense last season was their lack of 3-point shooting, ranking 24th in attempts and 28th in 3-point percentage. Unsurprisingly, their offense took a hit with them not being able to make teams pay from outside.

To their credit, the Lakers do have good shooters on the roster. Namely Gabe Vincent and D'Angelo Russell, who set the Lakers single-season 3-point record last season with 228 made threes, as well as newcomer Dalton Knecht, giving Redick options.

The Los Angeles Lakers have two glaring weaknesses that will need to be addressed.

A healthy Vincent, who played just 10 games last season, and the addition of Knecht, who may be a rotation player as a rookie, should make an impact and give more shooting. Those two players alone could help L.A. solve that problem and push them closer to the league average in 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage.

That would have a huge impact on their offensive rating and their overall record as a result. Defensively, a healthy Davis propped them up on that end, but the Lakers appear interested in pairing him with another big man to add more frontline size.

Generally speaking, having two big men helps defensively by providing more rim protection and rebounding, and adding a center next to LeBron and Davis would give them a massive frontcourt.

If the Lakers can solve these flaws, then they could be far better this season.

Having at least three high-volume 3-point shooters in their rotation should help to offet some of their shaking 3-point shooters. That will help them boost their offensive rating and make them more competitive. On defense, they are still looking at their options at center but if they are able to add a big man, then that should help them improve there too.

Those two tweaks might help them justify their quiet offseason and get the Lakers a higher seed and an easier path in the playoffs. If that is the case, then Los Angeles could become contenders again this season.