– Tighten up on defense
One of the reasons for the Lakers struggles of late has been their performance on the defensive end of the court. After really improving on that end of the court as a team last season, the Lakers have taken a step back a bit this season. While they rank 12th in defensive team rating for the season overall, they have struggled in their last 10 games. In that span, the Lakers rank 26th in the NBA, as they are just slightly better than teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.
Those are two teams that you don’t want to be near in stat categories, and it shows that the Lakers need to improve on that end. Part of the reason for the drop is due to the absence of Lonzo Ball. Even though he is still a very young player, Ball has emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league.
With Ball out, the Lakers need to step it on the defensive side of the ball. Ingram has been one of the players that have really stepped up on that end, as his recent performance against Kyrie Irving down the stretch of that game was impressive.
If the Lakers can get back closer to their defensive rating numbers overall compared to of late, they will be in much better shape to win games and make the playoffs.