LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers added Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in the offseason, the prevailing thought was the former Memphis Grizzlies’ duo would bolster the team’s defense. Both players have moved into the starting lineup recently amid injuries to Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, and they’ve brought an infusion of energy that fellow offseason acquisition Deandre Ayton says is “contagious.”
Deandre Ayton has been the Lakers’ last line of defense this season, anchoring the middle and trying to clean things up at the basket after a blow-by. With Smart and LaRavia in the lineup, they’ve helped mitigate those blow-byes with active hands and defensive intensity. That energy continues when Jarred Vanderbilt comes into the game, and Ayton has benefited tremendously from that.
“Before those passes, before they get those steals in the lane, they talk and communicate from the get-go,” Ayton said. “Just loud, early talk, making us comfortable, especially when I’m in the pick and roll and I can’t see what’s going on behind me. And having Vando out there, just totally boxing my dude out, and him scooping up those offensive boards or closing out defensive possessions, and just being an effort guy.”
“Him [Jake] and Marcus, having those guys with big second efforts, it’s contagious,” Ayton continued. “It’s black and white to what the team needs, and that’s how we get our offense going.”
Ayton himself has been impactful defensively this season, and he’s been among the most vocal players on the court in terms of defensive communication. As far as the standard roster players go, Ayton is third on the team in defensive rating at 115.4.
During the Lakers’ win against the Memphis Grizzlies last Sunday, Ayton made several big defensive plays at the basket, including a block on Grizzlies’ All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. While Ayton can have some lapses on that end, overall he’s been one of the team’s best defenders.
He’s played his role well for the most part as the Lakers’ starting center. He’s been averaging 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots while being among the league’s leaders in field goal percentage at 70.4 percent.
Smart, LaRavia and Vanderbilt are also among the Laker’s most impactful defensive players, and it’s shown in recent games. While the defense is not quite where it needs to be, there has been noticeable improvement since the three-game losing streak.
The Lakers have one more game on their mini-road trip against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, before returning home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Frid
