1. Inconsistent defensive efforts
When you have a team with as many young, inexperienced players as the Lakers do, inconsistency will occur. When you have the greatest basketball player in the world on your roster, some of those inconsistencies will be covered up. This road trip exemplified both of those things.
The offense was fine throughout the trip for Los Angeles. Their defense, however, was another story.
The Lakers defense was abysmal against the Magic, giving up 130 points. Orlando shot 53.8 percent from the field and made 11 3-pointers in the game. After allowing only 25 points in the first quarter, Orlando scored at least 30 points each subsequent quarter in the game.
Against the Heat, the Lakers locked down. Miami didn’t even break 100 points, which is tough to do in today’s NBA. Despite the impressive overall performance, the 3-point defense was not good, as Miami connected on 40.6 percent of their shots from deep.
Cleveland didn’t have a great shooting night overall, but the effort was lacking on the defensive side of the ball throughout the evening. The Lakers coasted through the game, for the most part, getting bailed out by James.
Cleveland had only three turnovers in the game, as the Lakers allowed them to pretty much do whatever they pleased; their execution and shot making was just not up to par.
The Lakers have looked better overall defensively since Tyson Chandler came aboard. However, as evident from this road trip, they can sometimes play down to the level of their opponent.