The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to become one of the best teams in the West in the new season, but everyone knows they’ll face their challenges.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley discussed what could be the largest problem in LA’s way.
“Disastrous Defense,” Buckley wrote. “Paint a mental picture of the ideal components for a dominant defense in the modern NBA. Did your collection of players look anything like the one pictured above? Of course not. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have never been mistaken for super-stingy stoppers. And with LeBron James’ 41st birthday fast approaching, he might have to go into energy-conservation mode on the defensive end more often than not. Maybe if the Lakers were loaded with lockdown defenders around them, they could be solid stoppers. Maybe.”
This isn’t a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the Lakers over the last few years, because defense has long been the biggest thorn in their sides.
Even when Anthony Davis was in the lineup, defense was an issue, and that issue exploded when Davis was sent to the Dallas Mavericks.
That is why general manager Rob Pelinka was adamant about acquiring a big man in the offseason, and LA was lucky when Deandre Ayton became available.
But Ayton alone won’t be enough to fix the defensive woes in Los Angeles.
That will require a full-team effort from the Lakers and, sadly, they just don’t have enough players with a strong, proven record on defense.
The offense could be explosive, and Luka Doncic might have an MVP-caliber season, but the Lakers aren’t going to reach their goals unless they address their defense deficit.
Getting Ayton was a start, but the Lakers will need to do more.
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