The Lakers’ defense has been one of the league’s premier ones thus far. This has in large part been due to the contributions of veterans Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Corey Brewer.
Headed into the 2017-2018 campaign many thought that the offense of the Los Angeles Lakers was going to be their main strength. On the other hand, it is the team’s defense that has kept them in games all year.
On paper, this sounds like nothing short of a miracle. For the last several seasons the Lakers’ defense has not been the prettiest.
Miracle or not, though, this is the current reality and it has been quite the spectacle. It is a relief provided that the squad finished dead last in defensive efficiency last season.
The team truly deserves a lot of credit for the strides they have made. On account of their overall youth, their acceptance of what it means to play “D” has been nothing short of impressive.
Generally speaking, younger teams take a bit longer to gel than the average one does. That being said, it only adds to how stunning it has been to see the Lakers play so well on defense.
As a matter of fact, their team defense did enough damage Sunday evening to even garner praise from the opposition.
Denver coach Mike Malone praised the Lakers' defense: "They just took us out of everything. Give them credit. They're a good defensive team. Luke has them playing really well on the defensive end, and that second group was very disruptive."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) November 20, 2017
Disruptive they were, indeed. Their extra efforts against Denver halted what has otherwise been one of the league’s better offenses so far.
Two defensive standouts worth noting from the contest are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Corey Brewer. The two gobbled up four steals apiece, which tangibly showcases how good of a night it was for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers
Due to being a couple of the Lakers’ more experienced pieces, games like this set strong examples for the younger assets.
In addition to that point, too, games along these lines exhibit why the team values the two so highly. It is largely why they opted to hold onto Brewer and is likewise why they signed KCP. Defensive principles are simply a part of their mental fabric.
Head coach Luke Walton recognizes this aspect of each of their games as well and spoke about why he thinks the Lakers’ defense has improved. Daniel Starkland of Lakers Nation took note of Walton’s comments in a recent article he wrote.
"“A lot of it is what they’ve brought to the table those two. Being a hard-nose, being able to make the right read and switch and get after people, be the aggressors on that end of it, and they play like that in practice all the time too. I thought our young guys see what that looks like and they get a feel of what that’s like playing against each day in practice. Obviously there’s a lot of other reasons too, but that’s a big part of what’s helped change the way that we’re playing defense.”"
As was said above, the two are aboard because of their defensive acumen. The fact that they put it on display in practice, though, is especially curious.
While what happens in practice may seem trivial, it has seemed to have a carryover effect. The team is really clicking in this area.
With that in mind, KCP and Brewer are far from the only two performing on defense. Players like Julius Randle have chipped in and have often forced opponents into some tough spots on the court. In doing so, it has often led to them taking shots that are every bit as tough to knock down.
What is just as significant is how regularly the defensive focus has been there. Granted the Lakers have had their share of lapses, they have not become as common of a problem.
Walton has to, therefore, be feeling somewhat encouraged that last year’s issues have not trickled over too much. A recent remark the coach made validates this line of thought.
Luke Walton: “what I’m happiest about is the defensive consistency.” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 20, 2017
Taking that into account, games like Sunday’s are one thing. However, the purple-and-gold have been doing this all year and it has kept many games interesting. Even when the ball is not finding its way through the cylinder, the “D” does not tend to waver.
Despite the fact that they are not a fully polished product, the argument could be made that this team’s identity revolves around defense. As Walton asserted, it has been a constant factor. As a result, such a statement may not be too crazy to put forth.
Certainly, a lot of basketball remains to be played. Nonetheless, if the Lakers’ defense continues to perform at such a pace, teams will never want to face them.
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Caldwell-Pope and Brewer are slowly changing the culture of Los Angeles. For reasons like this, the Los Angeles Lakers are not half bad. While their record may not be the glossiest, this team has shown that they a spirited group of guys that are not afraid to mix it up.