2. Take away the midrange
For modern NBA defense, the idea is that you want to force your opponent to take the toughest shots, which statistically speaking are in the midrange. This is a pretty standard operating procedure that most NBA teams go for, but the Spurs are one of the few teams where the midrange is their bread and butter.
They have two of the most lethal midrange scorers in the entire NBA in LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. This has led to the Spurs ranked first in midrange attempts per game, with 46% of their shots coming from there. Not only do they shoot from midrange more than any other team in the NBA, but they also are the most accurate, ranking 1st in percentage at 45.8%.
For the Lakers, they aren’t the best at defending the midrange shot, but they also aren’t the worst, ranking 15th in opponent percentage. The Laker’s defensive strategy so far has been to play aggressively on the perimeter and funnel opponents into the paint where their bigs can take care of the rest.
Luckily, the Lakers just need to contain DeRozan and Aldridge as they are the two biggest users of the midrange, shooting 69% and 63% of their shots from that area. The next most prolific midrange shooter is Bryn Forbes who shoots 31% of his shots from there.
In addition, for as much they like to operate in the midrange, DeRozan and Aldridge feel the opposite about the 3-point shot. This will allow perimeter players like Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to sag back on DeRozan and prepare for his eventual 15-17 footers. The Laker bigs can do the same with Aldridge.