LeBron James has intended for the Los Angeles Lakers to become a team known for its defense from the start of the season.
While that is expected to be a process with so many new faces and a new coach at the helm, James has stood firm in that belief and is confident the Lakers can pull it off:
“We want to be one of the best defensive teams, if not the best defensive team in the league,” said James after a 103-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, according to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. “We have guys that take pride on that side of the floor. We don’t want guys to score on us, even though they will since we are all NBA players, but we have a great scheme.”
The Lakers have strong shot blockers in Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard while boasting perimeter hawks in Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers are one of the longest teams in the league, especially with the 6-foot-8 James at point guard, but becoming the best defensive team in the league will be a task of coaching and executing more than the individual skill of the players in the roster.
That all starts with the mentality, as James mentioned, with players understanding they can cut their own checks with defense first, allowing the offense a chance to get easier looks in transition. So far, the Lakers have been buying in, as they do in fact currently boast the best defense in the NBA.
Los Angeles has won five in a row since losing the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, quickly climbing to the top spot of the Western Conference after the first two weeks of regular-season action.
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