1. Team defense is legit
When the Los Angeles Lakers replaced head coach Luke Walton with Frank Vogel, one thing was for sure; they were going to play defense. Vogel is known as a defensive head coach from his time with the Indiana Pacers and thus far, that has carried over to his him with the Lakers.
Whenever the Lakers needed a stop during this three-game road trip, they got it. They trailed by as many as 15 points against the Mavericks and 19 against the Bulls, yet won both games as they locked in on the defensive end in the second half after slow first halves. Dallas scored 52 points in the second half and overtime, while Chicago scored 47 in the second half.
The Mavericks shot only 39.2 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the 3-point line. San Antonio shot 39.8 percent overall and 24 percent from the 3-point line. Chicago shot 50.6 percent overall and 43.8 percent from the 3-point line, but those numbers were buoyed by their 65 point first half.
It is nice that the Lakers can rely on their defense to win games for them if their offense isn’t clicking. With how stifling they are on that end of the court, they can hang against any opponent.
JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis are protecting the rim and paint, while Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso are helping lock down the perimeter. This team is a lot of fun to watch on the defensive side of the ball as they force turnovers and block shots leading to easy baskets.