3. Defensive Liability
Last season the Lakers made great strides on the defensive end of the court. Los Angeles had been a sieve defensively in the first season under Luke Walton. However, they turned things around in a major way in his second season at the helm.
After finishing last in the NBA in defensive rating in the 2016-17 season, the Lakers improved to 12th in the league in 2017-18. The defense was a focus for the team the last offseason as Josh Hart, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball all were plus defenders. Brook Lopez also helped as a rim protector.
This season, the emphasis has once again been on defense. Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson both have reputations as tough, defensive-minded players. LeBron James can be a lockdown defender when needed. JaVale McGee provides a springy rim protector as the last line of defense. Hart, Caldwell-Pope and Ball should all continue improving as well.
Anthony does not fit into that plan. He has never been regarded as a strong defender and he is not improving in that area as he ages and his athleticism diminishes. Last season with the Thunder, Anthony was actually a negative player according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Anthony had an offensive rating of 104 and a defensive rating of 109. It was the third time in four seasons that Anthony had a lower offensive rating than a defensive rating. It is hard to believe that Anthony would provide any better production on that end of the court this season.