The Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals after dispatching the Houston Rockets in five games. LeBron James has certainly done his part by leading them offensively. However, much of the Lakers' success this season and in the playoffs can be attributed to their top-notch play on the other end of the floor.
James took some time to reflect on his current squad's elite defense and compared it to his previous Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers teams.
“I’ve been a part of a lot of great defensive teams,” James said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Mike Brown was a defensive coach, and we played some exceptional basketball on the defensive end my early days in Cleveland. In Miami, we flew around. We weren’t the biggest team, but we had great length, great speed and (Erik Spoelstra) challenged us to use our speed to cover the interior and get out to the exterior as well. So we flew around.
As James mentioned, his previous teams were led by defensive-minded coaches that helped them thrive in that department. Meanwhile, this Lakers squad is full of All-NBA defenders scattered around the roster.
“But this (Lakers team) is a really good defensive team, too. We have multiple first-team all-defensive players. We have Defensive Players of the Year in A.D. and Dwight (Howard). Before the shutdown, Avery (Bradley) has been a part of so many first-team, second-team defenses. Danny was on a team last year. I’m not quite sure if I’ve been on any, but I know what I can do on the defensive end. We fly around. We protect each other.”
Apart from the two Game 1 losses in both rounds so far, the Lakers have looked unstoppable in the playoffs. Per NBA.com, Los Angeles ranks no. 3 in terms of defensive rating in the postseason. Taking into consideration the remaining teams in the playoffs, Los Angeles is just below the Boston Celtics.
As the saying goes: defense wins championships. The Lakers will certainly need their elite defense to propel them to the mountaintop.
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