While the Los Angeles Lakers are near the top of the Western Conference, they continue to face questions about the construction of their roster. Embarrassing home losses to the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons over the last two weeks have led to questions about whether the team is truly good enough to contend in what could be LeBron James’s final season.
Most of the criticism is aimed at the team’s defense, and a popular social media account pointed out how bad things have gotten on that end.
The Lakers’ Defensive Rating Has Declined Over the Last Few Years
Popular NBA social media account Oh No He Didn’t weighed in on the Lakers’ defensive issues on X, saying “Lakers defensive rating has taken a big drop.” The account posted a graph illustrating how the Lakers have gone from being ranked third in the NBA in defensive rating during their title-winning season in 2020 to currently 24th this season.
The Lakers’ current defensive rating of 117.6 is the lowest among all playoff-contending teams. The team ranks 27th in the NBA in field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot 48.7% from the field. The perimeter defense is even more disastrous, as they rank 29th in three-point defense, with opponents hitting 37.7% of their attempts.
If there is one silver lining for Lakers fans throughout these issues, it is that they are a solid defensive rebounding team, and they avoid letting opponents take a lot of free throws. That has kept the Lakers’ defense from truly bottoming out, as they are currently ranked 18th in scoring defense, allowing 117.3 points per game.
While it’s unfair to put the Lakers’ issues on one person, the decision to bring in nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook felt like the turning point. The Lakers had strong perimeter defenders on their championship-winning team, like Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Acquiring Westbrook in 2021 led to Caruso and Caldwell-Pope leaving, and the Lakers have yet to find players of that caliber as wing defenders over the last few years.
The team currently has a tremendous offense trio in Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, but none of them are quality defenders, as Father Time has caught up to James. 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht has the size, but not the athleticism, to compete on that end.
Veteran guard Gabe Vincent isn’t having a good season, and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart isn’t shooting well enough to stay on the floor despite still being a plus defender. The Lakers will look for an upgrade at the trade deadline, as without a solution, another disappointing playoff run seems inevitable.
