3. Third reason for signing Tyson Chandler…Message to Luke Walton!
A lot of this mess that is surrounding the Lakers will fall at the feet of Luke Walton. Fair or not, Luke Walton will take the blame for much of the defensive woes that the team has. Many have blamed the Lakers front office in the media for the problems the team has on the floor.
Umm…this signing is a show of faith after reports of Magic Johnson not being happy with the progression of the team.
This just in…Magic Johnson is right.
The Lakers have no real identity and the reason it looks like there is no defensive scheme is that…the team does not work hard on defense. Furthermore, there is no accountability being shown.
This means that no one knows right now if the schemes work or not. That’s a very important thing that gets overlooked.
If the Lakers concentrated on defense as Lance works on his dance moves, Luke Walton could at least go back and watch film and make adjustments based on what worked and what didn’t. If the Lakers mess up the most basic defensive principles, there’s nothing that the coaching staff can fix.
Based on the mixture of youth and experience on this team, the Lakers should at least be a middle of the road team in the NBA. The problem is located at the two players that are supposed to be “leaders of the team” in Rajon Rondo and LeBron James.
It starts with James being held more accountable, along with other veterans on the roster (HELLO Rajon Rondo!) for the same mistakes being done over and over again.
How many times can Rondo turn his head and lose his man cutting to the rim for an easy layup? How many times can LeBron James be late on a rotation? LeBron James and Rajon Rondo may know all the rules of the NBA, it doesn’t mean that they practice what they preach and use the knowledge to their and the team’s advantage.
Plus, it does bear mentioning that ALL the players need to get back on transition defense. The Lakers are pretty much one of the worst teams in the NBA in that category. Most of the time players are crying for calls while the opposing team is on a fast break with numbers in their favor.
Will this Chandler signing help? No.
The defensive breakdown starts at the top of the key with constant guard penetration. The Lakers cannot depend on a guy that possibly will be retired at the end of the year to clean up all the defensive woes of the other four guys on the floor. That’s like asking the Roto-Rooter man to fix the sinking Titanic after it hit the iceberg with the band playing.
The Los Angeles Lakers have started their long journey through the NBA season. Lake Show Life will be there every step of the way. Continue to check in for Lakers news, previews and reviews.