Defense:
Scoring Defense: C+
The Lakers’ scoring defense was not great, but they did seem to pick up their aggressiveness in contesting shots. In Thursday’s matchup, the Lakers did allow the Nuggets to shoot 50 percent from the floor, but they only allowed them to convert 26.1 percent of their threes. Overall, the Lakers still gave up 110+ points. If the team has any hope of being a true contender they will either have to pick up their scoring defense or continue to score 120+ points per night.
Blocking/Stealing: A
The Lakers tied their season-high of 13 steals. Lonzo Ball led the way with five. The team also had three blocks, two of which came from Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers have slowly been putting together pieces on how to guard the passing lanes. If the team can continue to get steals, they can score easy points – with their speed – on the break.
Rebounding: A-
The Lakers were out-rebounded by the Nuggets, but this does not show their effort on the glass. Aside from the big men, JaVale McGee and Johnathan Williams, everyone else on the Lakers did their job on the defensive glass. The team finished with 33 defensive rebounds, which is fairly average but is great against a lengthy Nuggets team. Hopefully, the Lakers can attack the defensive glass efficiently next game when they take on a Spurs team that averages 14.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Fouling: A
The Lakers once again held themselves to less than 20 fouls. This time, however, no player had greater than four fouls. As long as the team can keep this up – along with the health of their depth-filled roster – they should continue to be a threat on the floor.