The Los Angeles Lakers have mostly had a good season, currently sitting at 17-7, fourth in the Western Conference, and leading the Pacific Division. But shrouded within their solid start is the Lakers' fatal flaw, which has been laid bare by their losses. The Lakers' defense struggled mightily against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup, and it threatens to derail any championship aspirations.
Los Angeles dropped to 21st in defense, according to NBA advanced stats. Alarmingly, the team has allowed at least 12o points in four of their last five games. The Lakers have not had a good December so far, going 2-3 in five contests. On Wednesday, the Lakers could not stop the Spurs, which prevented them from mounting a comeback.
But this is not a new development. Notably, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and JJ Redick have all addressed it over the past few weeks. This issue dates back to last season, and the purple and gold have not fixed it, despite their best efforts.
The Lakers' offseason moves
When the Lakers went into the offseason, the goal was to get a big man and a defender. At the time, they believed they had two. First, the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton to be their big man. Then, the Lakers snagged Marcus Smart to be their defender off the bench. So far, Ayton has been solid, with a recent defensive rating of 115, which is decent but still not elite. Smart won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022. However, he is merely decent this season, instead of the elite defender he once was.
But the two moves did not correlate with the other players. Despite their best efforts, Reaves, James, and Luka Doncic have not provided much stellar defense. Often, when the Lakers fall behind early due to poor defense, they get frustrated and start turning the ball over. That has been an issue all season.
Where the Lakers currently stand
The Lakers currently have a defensive rating of 118 and have allowed 116.7 points per game. Although they are 10th in defensive rebound percentage, that has not mattered when they have allowed interior shots to go in. It's mainly been an issue when they have played elite teams or above-average teams, who can make their shots from all over the floor.
A good example of this happened against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, they are currently the best team in the NBA and are steamrolling many teams. But when the Lakers faced the Thunder, they were unable to contain them in the first quarter, leaving them in a major hole. This forced them to try shots they wouldn't normally take, and it slowed them to a half, as the Thunder bolted past them.
Can the Lakers fix this?
This is a question many naysayers have. If you asked this currently, the answer would be no. The Lakers have gone 5-2 against teams with winning records this season, but there is still a lot of work to do. Reddick must attempt to work the right magic to fix the Lakers' defense. Of course, the Lakers have an elite offense. But they need to counter with a solid defense on the days when James, Reaves, and Doncic struggle to hit shots.
But the real test will start when the Lakers start facing other explosive teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and even the New York Knicks. At some point, allowing 120 points and expecting to score 125 will not be an option. The Lakers must clamp down and defend better if they hope to contend for the NBA Championship this season.
