The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, dropping them to 31-37 on the year, 7.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final playoff spot. Things continue to look bleaker for their playoff odds as the days go by, but point guard Rajon Rondo isn't here to criticize how the roster was put together at the start of the season, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“Championships are won defensively. It's a miss/make league. You can't control, obviously, the shots you make. It helps if you have a lot of shooters, three-point makers. But you're not going to outscore Golden State in a seven-game series. … The only way you're going to do it is get defensive stops and I think we had that type of roster when we were healthy, as far as guys that take pride defensively.”
The Lakers' roster has featured an interesting amalgamation of youthful talent and experienced veterans. In addition to bringing aboard LeBron James during the summer to add to the mix of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma, names such as Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley also joined the fray.
That roster has allowed 113.9 points per game through their first 68 games, the third-most in the Western Conference. With injuries giving the season a start and stop feel, LA never had a chance to go on a run with their entire roster at their disposal. Whether some, or any, of those veterans, come back in 2019-20, the defense will be paramount.
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