The Los Angeles Lakers are currently playing some of their best basketball of the season. Luka Dončić and LeBron James have had statement games during the team’s current eight-game winning streak. As such, the conversations have started once again regarding the team’s championship potential this season. Current rival and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green recently gave his verdict.
Draymond Green Says Lakers’ Defensive Issues Are Tough to Overcome
Green talked about the Lakers on the latest edition of his podcast and expressed doubt about the team’s championship hopes.
Green said, “You ask yourself how dangerous can they be during the playoffs, and a part of me wanna say not very dangerous at all. But the other side of me know better. You got Luka Dončić and LeBron James on the court at the same time.
“You have a chance. Teams that will put pressure on them, that will make it tough for them in the playoffs is making them guard. Not a great defensive team at all. I just don’t know if they are good enough defensively to ultimately take it all the way.”
Draymond Green on the Lakers chances to be real contenders:
“You ask yourself how dangerous can they be during the playoffs, apart of me wants to say not very dangerous at all but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same… pic.twitter.com/kYEsPPMj43
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 20, 2026
The Lakers’ defensive issues have dominated the headlines at various points during this season. The team is currently ranked 20th in defensive rating and 15th in scoring defense. Things get even uglier, as the Lakers are ranked 26th in field goal defense, as their opponents are shooting 48.4% from the field.
The only things keeping the team from completely sinking to the bottom are that they do a solid job defending the 3-point line and keeping teams from shooting a lot of free throws. Both of those things are likely attributed to the Lakers playing zone occasionally, which Green mentioned.
Dončić, James, and Reaves have all been called out individually by the media for poor defense at times. At age 41, James has escaped most of the criticism, as it’s simply not realistic to expect him to guard at a high level every night. Reaves has made strides over the years, and his anticipation skills are an asset, but he’ll never be a stopper.
That leaves Dončić to share most of the blame. Dončić scored 60 points in the Lakers’ recent 134-126 win over the Miami Heat, another example of his offensive brilliance. However, he remains a below-average defender despite getting in better shape this season. There have been multiple instances this season where he simply hasn’t given the effort on that end of the floor.
Green mentioned former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who is still an elite defender, but his minutes are tied to his shooting. The Lakers need his defense in the playoffs, but head coach JJ Redick has taken him out of games when he’s hurting the team’s offense. The same is true for versatile defender Jarred Vanderbilt, whose shooting struggles have caused him to fall out of the rotation.
The Lakers may have to outscore teams to win in the playoffs, something Green thinks will not be successful.
