Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton has been disappointed in the team’s defensive effort thus far in the preseason.
Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers struggled mightily on defense. They were the easiest team to make shots against, as they were last in the NBA in opponent’s field goal percentage. They ranked near the bottom in points allowed per game as well.
During the offseason, the Lakers made a concerted effort to bring in some players to help turn things around on that end of the court.
On the perimeter, the Lakers brought in defensive ace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He will help take pressure off Lonzo Ball on the defensive end of the court, defending the opponent’s best guard every night. First-round pick, Josh Hart, has the ability to play some defense as well.
In the frontcourt, the Lakers traded for Brook Lopez and signed Andrew Bogut. Both will provide some solid rim protection for a Lakers team that provided little resistance last season. Larry Nance Jr. is also a solid defender in the frontcourt.
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While the team has added better defenders, the results have not yet materialized on the court. The Lakers have surrendered at least 108 points in every game, surrendering more points with each passing game.
It is something that Luke Walton has been disappointed in thus far this preseason. Serena Winters of Lakers Nation shared a tweet in which Walton shared his feelings on the defense.
Luke Walton's biggest problem with the defense tonight was simple: "effort."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 5, 2017
The absence of Lopez and Bogut in the middle has hurt. The Lakers have been forced to use smaller lineups, such as Nance Jr. at center. However, the performance is still something that is unacceptable.
The Lakers defensive effort was solid against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason opener. Minnesota shot only 41.6 percent from the field and 30 percent from the three-point line. They found their success from the foul line. Against the Nuggets the defense took a major step backward.
In the first meeting, the Lakers allowed the Nuggets to shoot 45.6 percent from the field. Where they really hurt Los Angeles was from the perimeter, where they knocked down 51.7 percent of their three-pointers. Gary Harris lit them up for 25 points, knocking down 5-of-7 from deep.
Things only got worse in the second meeting on Wednesday. The Nuggets once again had their way with the Lakers, shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line. What makes that performance even more embarrassing was that the Nuggets played without four starters in Wilson Chandler, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic and Harris.
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You are not going to win many games allowing your opponents to shoot that well from the field. The Nuggets are undoubtedly talented, and the Lakers were shorthanded, but the effort just has not been at the level you want to see.