Why the Los Angeles Lakers need to emphasize transition defense vs Chicago:
Chicago ranks second in overall pace of play in the NBA so far this season. They have plenty of speed and athleticism to run teams off the court. If Chicago’s lightning-quick point guard Coby White is able to get to the rim whenever the defense is set, imagine how much damage White can do when the defense is not set.
Zach Lavine can get buckets in the half-court, but he is a 2K cheat code in transition. If a casual NBA fan created the ideal player in 2K, it would look a lot like Zach Lavine.
Throw it up and Zach will go get it!@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/YgM9Qme3sb
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 23, 2021
There have been many hyper-athletic wings that look like superstars but eventually fizzle out as their athleticism dwindles. Lavine has already come off a torn ACL and may have future knee problems due to how hard he lands on the floor.
But that is the future, this is the present. Lavine is a problem in transition, as is everybody else on Chicago and the rest of the NBA.
Why opposing role players thrive in transition vs. the Lakers:
LeBron, AD, and other stars will score no matter if it is in the half-court or in transition. Only the role players who are far more deadly in transition than in a half-court set. Coach Vogel recognizes the need to stop the other four players on the court besides the star player.
"“We’ve had a couple games in a row in transition, where we’re so focused on Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, that we’re losing guys,” Vogel explained. “That happened a ton tonight. We have to improve with that.” “We still have to make sure we match up to everyone on the floor, in particular not letting guys get behind our defense. Just an area to clean up and hopefully learn from in a win.”"
Coach Vogel makes a great point: transition defense magnifies any issues that are present in a team’s half-court defense. What is hurting the Lakers is their tendency to give up wide open three-pointers in transition.
They are too fixated on stopping the ball and helping out on the drive. Against their loss against the San Antonio Spurs, Anthony Davis publicly called out the team and himself for their poor defensive effort. AD gave up several open trail three-pointers to LaMarcus Aldridge and other Spurs players in transition.
If AD wants to make yet another statement that the Lakers defensive woes are firmly in the past, he needs to start by guarding Lauri Markkanen. The first time around, both players were out. Now, in the rematch, both players will be key.