Los Angeles Lakers: Instant takeaways from win over Utah Jazz

2. The Los Angeles Lakers still have issues with perimeter defense

The Los Angeles Lakers played an overall good defensive game, but there certainly were areas where the Lakers could be better. One was an area that the team has struggled with even since the scrimmage games: defending the perimeter. The team is yet to find its defensive identity there without Avery Bradley and that continued against Utah.

The numbers are a bit misleading as well. If you did not get a chance to see the game and just look at the box score then you would think that the Lakers did a fine job. The Jazz made just 12 of 43 three-point attempts in this game.

An opponent 27.9 three-point percentage is definitely one that is going to win games for the Lakers but there is a number to keep in mind: 43. The Jazz did not take 43 three-point attempts out of desperation because they needed to get back in the game: they took 43 three-point attempts because they were often getting open looks.

The Jazz shot really poorly in this game, period. If they would have just had an average night from the three-point line (they shoot 37.9 percent as a team) then they would have made 16 threes instead of 12. Suddenly, their final score goes from 108 to 117.

Of course, things are not that cut and paste but it very well could have shifted the entire rest of the game if the Jazz came out and shot the ball well early on instead of shooting it poorly. We absolutely should be celebrating this win, but there is still so much more work to be done.

What were your instant takeaways from this game? Be sure to let us know in the comments down below.