Los Angeles Lakers: 3 quick thoughts on the 2-3 Start

2. Defense! Defense! DEFENSE! 

Before the season started I truly believed this Lakers team was going to be great on the defensive end of the floor. They have the size and flexibility to match up with practically every team in the league and numerous defensive minded veterans to help teach the younger guys how to not only stay in front of their man but play help and rotate.

So far, they have shown the complete opposite. The Lakers give up a disgusting 124.4 points a game which is second to last in the league (before last night’s win against the Denver Nuggets they were dead last).

Now I know it’s still early, but allowing that many points per game to start the season is never a good sign.

They just allowed 140 to a team whose two best players are historically known for their love of the mid-range game in DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. 113 points were surrendered to the Phoenix Suns, albeit, the Lakers did win. But, let’s have some pride and keep the worst team in the league last season under 100 points.

There are too many things going wrong on defense for me to dissect each aspect so I’ll focus on the big ones.

First off, there is no communication happening, at least it sure doesn’t look like it. They’re late on rotations, leaving shooters wide open, and letting the opponent’s big man dominate us down low. Teams are shooting almost 50% from the field and almost 40% from 3 against us so far this season. That can’t continue, especially if Los Angeles is going to be shooting 31 percent from downtown.

The Lakers look like five guys at a pickup game trying to switch everything and hope it works out because they’re long and fast. At times, they just look lost. Someone gets beat and they don’t know whether to try and fight back into the play or let the help defender come in and rotate accordingly.

There were a couple plays in particular in the game against the Suns where Devin Booker would blow past his defender and either go straight to the hoop for a lightly contested layup or kick out to a wide-open Trevor Ariza in the corner and not a single Laker would be there to contest.

I understand it’s early and players are trying to find their exact role, but the defense should be about communication, hustle, and rotating. Right now, it’s a whole lot of standing and watching. The defense did look better at times against the Nuggets but they still gave up over 110 points, which they have done every game so far this season.

Great defenses require an anchor. Take Draymond Green in Golden State as a perfect example. Los Angeles needs someone to step up on that end this year and take control, and SOON. They won’t be scoring 130 points every night so at some point, they will have to get stops on that end.

One last thing. JaVale McGee CANNOT be the only defensive threat on the inside. That needs to change, or else teams will continue to penetrate while Kyle Kuzma is playing center and they won’t find much challenge from him.