The Los Angeles Lakers entered their NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup against the San Antonio Spurs with momentum and confidence. They left the court with questions about the defensive flaws that continue to derail their season. Despite missing Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio exposed the Lakers’ biggest weakness in a 132-119 victory that ended Los Angeles’ tournament run.
What Does Austin Reaves See as the Lakers’ Biggest Weakness?
With a three-headed monster at the helm in the form of Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Dončić, Los Angeles has gotten off to an excellent start. At 17-7, they are right there with the other contenders in the West.
However, upon closer examination of the statistics, it becomes clear that what has made them so dominant to start the year is their work in crunch time, alongside an offense that ranks seventh in offensive rating. With James getting acclimated to the lineup, there is a great chance that the number continues to rise in the coming weeks.
For Reaves, the reason for their losses has come down to the same issue. After head coach J.J. Redick claimed that they were “getting exposed” in the same areas each time, Reaves seconded his opinion. Speaking in the locker room, he explained, “That’s a weakness we’ve got to get better at.”
Calling it a team effort, he added, “The spirit is still high in here, we know we can do it. But we have to be a group that guards with five people.” Ranking in the bottom 10 of the league in defensive rating, the flaw has been the biggest thing holding the team back.
Can the Lakers Fix Their Defense Before the Playoffs?
With none of their three best players tracking as great defenders at this point in their careers, the defense was always going to be a problem for LA. However, the right pieces haven’t materialized around them yet to ensure sustained success.
As the four seed, the sky is certainly not falling on the Lakers. But perimeter defense is a key area of improvement for this squad if they want to make a deep run, not just in the regular season, but the playoffs as well.
Without the right kind of defensive personnel, that flaw might be too much for them to overcome once the intensity and added attention of the postseason kicks in.
