The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams through March, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin has a clear explanation for what has driven the run. While the offensive firepower of Luka Dončić and LeBron James has drawn most of the attention, McMenamin pointed to something far less glamorous as the real engine behind the Lakers’ surge.
How Defense and LeBron James Are Fueling the Los Angeles Lakers
Dave McMenamin was direct in identifying what has changed for Los Angeles, noting that their defensive attention to detail has sparked their transition game and led to open 3-point looks. He reported that they jumped from 20th in the league in 3-point percentage before the All-Star break to fourth since the break.
The numbers back him up. The Lakers, who at one point earlier in the season owned the second-worst defense in the league, had climbed to the No. 2 defensive rating in the league by mid-March.
The improvement has not been limited to one area. Los Angeles made meaningful strides in defending the 3-point line, foul discipline, defensive rebounding, and transition defense over the season’s third quarter.
McMenamin also singled out Dončić, whose defensive commitment has been one of the more underreported stories of the Lakers’ run. He pointed out that Dončić has shot above 40% from 3-point range since the All-Star break, underlining how the two-way improvement has come simultaneously.
MORE: Celtics Broadcast Team Savagely Trolls Former Hawks Star Trae Young’s Defense
This comes as a major surprise, since the entire basis of Dončić’s infamous trade from Dallas to LA was his “lack of defense,” as per Nico Harrison.
Coach JJ Redick has spoken at length about the Slovenian’s growth on that end during the earlier weeks of March, noting that Dončić is allowing just under 0.9 points per possession as an isolation defender. It’s among the best marks of any perimeter player on the roster. His 4.2 deflections per 100 possessions rank in the 82nd percentile leaguewide, a figure that would have been difficult to predict at the season’s start.
But it was McMenamin’s observation about James that may have raised the most eyebrows. He highlighted how the veteran, in his 23rd season, led the NBA in transition dunks over a recent 8-game stretch and was attacking the rim better than anyone in the league over a two-week span.
How the Lakers’ Defensive Identity Is Taking Shape for the Playoffs
The broader context of the Lakers’ defensive improvement is worth appreciating. As recently as early March, Los Angeles had gone from 18th in defensive efficiency to 29th at their lowest point, with problems across nearly every category. Their rim protection ranked 29th, transition defense was porous, and turnovers were feeding opposing fast breaks at an alarming rate.
The turnaround has been rooted in scheme as much as effort. Redick has deployed aggressive switching coverages and zone looks to neutralize opposing stars, a strategy that has produced notable results against some of the West’s biggest names.
Anthony Edwards shot just 13.3% in one matchup, Kevin Durant managed just 2 points and 7 turnovers in the second half of another, and Nikola Jokić was forced into 13 turnovers across two meetings with Los Angeles.
The approach relies heavily on collective buy-in rather than individual defensive talent, and by mid- to late March, the roster had embraced it. Dončić himself summarized the shift simply, noting that the team needed to lock in to win games and show their true identity.
With the playoffs approaching, the Lakers are carrying that mentality into the postseason, and McMenamin’s breakdown suggests the foundation they have built on defense may be more durable than many expected at the start of the year.
