Interior Defense
The defense was a struggle for the Lakers last season. They couldn’t stop a cold, let alone an opposing NBA offense. They allowed teams to shoot 48.3 percent from the floor and surrendered 111.5 points per game; the third worst mark in the NBA. Where they really struggled was defending inside the three-point line, and that looks like it will continue this season.
Last season the Lakers allowed teams to shoot 53.6 percent on two-point shots. They have improved their perimeter defense by bringing in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but could see some struggles on the interior still.
Lopez can protect the rim some, as he averaged 1.7 blocks per game last season; no player on the Lakers averaged even 1.0 per game. However, Lopez is not an overly imposing player on the inside. Players are not afraid to attack him; ask his new teammate, Larry Nance Jr.
Lopez will improve the Lakers at the rim based on sheer size alone. However, his lack of mobility will hurt them in other areas. Lopez is a lumbering center, so he can be easily attacked in the pick-and-roll. He isn’t a great anchor a defense, one of the only two teams to allow more points than the Lakers last season was the Brooklyn Nets, the team Lopez is coming from.
Lopez was slightly better than Mozgov based on Defensive Box Plus/Minus but is worse than Black and Zubac. It could be another long season for the Lakers trying to stop teams on the inside.