Despite having an injury-plagued and disappointing season in the standings, the Los Angeles Lakers still managed to have the best defense in the entire NBA this season. This would be a great achievement in even a healthy season, so in a year with so much uncertainty and roster turn over this accomplishment can be their silver lining.
By saying they have the number one defense that means they finished the season with the lowest defensive rating in the league at 106.8, and this is the first time since the 1999-2000 that they have pulled that off.
The Los Angeles Lakers went from a team whose strength was interior defense to a team that arguably had their best defenders playing out on the perimeter.
The coaching staff should get a ton of credit for taking who was available and devising a game plan to play to their advantage.
Anthony Davis’ return and the addition of the other AD, Andre Drummond has helped them bolster their defense down low. It has also helped balance their defense and help them restore their reputation as one of the better rim-protecting teams in the league.
Even though they have the best defense in the league by the numbers, the Lakers are unlikely to have any players on any all-defensive team. According to the head coach Frank Vogel he thinks his two guards KCP and Alex Caruso have had good enough seasons on defense to garner some consideration.
During the last week of the season, Vogel said:
"“Those two guys have been stellar on the defensive end. Both of them helped us win a championship last year but have been consistent and steady throughout. When you look at the team that has the No. 1 defensive ranking, perimeter defenders like those two guys are a big reason for it, so I think they both deserve consideration.”"
Their perimeter defenders will be put to the test and will have to prove themselves again in the play-in game when they will have to chase around and try to stop the scoring champion of the league, Stephen Curry.
If this season is a measurement of how they will perform, they have a good shot to limit him to a game below his standards, in three games against the Lakers Curry has only averaged 23 points per game, nine below his season average.