The numbers for the Lakers and their defense are not hard to decipher. They’re not great when it comes to defending the 3-point line, allowing teams that would normally shoot 35.9% to shoot 38.4% according to league stats. They’re not great at defending the interior, either, allowing teams that shoot 63.1% against other teams to shoot 65.5% against them. Both of those differentials rank in the bottom six in the NBA.
More generally, the Lakers’ defensive efficiency is 116.5, which is 20th in the league. They’re the lowest rated defensive team that is also above .500, and no team below them is remotely in the NBA playoff picture.
While there has been a focus, when it comes to NBA trade chatter, on the Lakers finding a defensive stopper, the fact is, there’s no one player who is going to transform the entire team defense. They’re never going to be a great defensive team, but they could certainly improve if each individual just played a bit harder and smarter on that end of the floor.
Lakers Were Embarrassed by Their Defense
That was the message from coach JJ Redick the other day when talking to his team and watching film of the Lakers giving up perimeter looks and inside freebies. Center Deandre Ayton, certainly one of the culprits given his position and less-than-stellar defensive reputation, said that Redick told them so in no uncertain terms.
“Seeing the scouting report, what teams make of us, was pretty embarrassing,” Ayton said. “We’re a really good offensive team but you start to look at those numbers in depth and see it over a span of games, like 10 games, it’s terrible. Tonight was a great start from those last two practices and that film meeting.
“JJ really got on us and basically showed us ‘Y’all showing y’all are (expletive) right now and it’s time to tighten up a little bit.’ You got to have some pride on the defensive end.”
GettyLos Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
One Lakers trade Won’t Fix All Issues
Redick is not wrong. The Lakers have been expletive right now, and for a notion of which expletive he used, you maybe be sitting on yours right now. But he is right not just in the prognosis but also the diagnosis–the team needs to play better overall, needs to “heave some pride” rather than hope the offense carries them and maybe there will be a defensive addition who can rescue the wider group later.
The Lakers could trade for Herb Jones from the Pelicans, the defensive ace they have inquired about according to multiple reports, but it is worth noting that the Pelicans currently rate 28th in defensive efficiency, at 119.7. And yes, Jones was injured for two weeks, but even in the 16 games he played to start the years, the Pels were 26th in defense at 119.9.
In other words, he–or anyone else–is not going to singlehandedly lift the Lakers defense. They’ve been playing like expletive on that end, even at 18-7.
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