2 things the Los Angeles Lakers can learn from the Milwaukee Bucks

Lesson #2: Re-establish Frank Vogel’s physical brand of defense

Milwaukee’s defense copied the Los Angeles Lakers’ blueprint in order to slow down a red-hot Phoenix Suns offense. They aggressively pressured the ball and contested every shot in the paint.

Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday was emboldened pressuring Chris Paul because he knew Giannis was there to erase anything at the basket. Milwaukee big men PJ Tucker, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis tried to use all six of their fouls trying to slow down Devin Booker.

Even without Anthony Davis, the Lakers still had the league’s top-rated defense for most of the season. So what happened to the Lakers’ defense in the playoffs?

LeBron and AD got hurt! The same injuries that slowed them down on offense also slowed them down on defense. The title window closed as soon as they suffered those major injuries. There was not enough time for them to recover in time to dominate the playoffs.

Assuming LeBron and AD are healthy this time around, they need to go back to what got them the championship inside the bubble – elite rim protection and an aggressive half-court defense.

During the Lakers’ title run in the bubble, they led the NBA in blocked shots and ranked in the top 5 in total steals per game. Lakers guards such as Danny Green, Alex Caruso, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope aggressively pressured the ball and constantly played the passing lanes.

They could do this because they had LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Dwight Howard backing them up in the paint. Howard is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Might not be a bad idea to bring him back for his third Lakers stint.

Because this season, the Lakers defense was much less aggressive, ranking 5th and 11th in blocks and steals respectively. Even with the personnel changes this past offseason, that drop-off is pretty significant. Losing Howard was definitely a factor.

All season long, the Lakers were not as aggressive pressuring ball-handlers and challenging shots at the rim. Their guards need to go back to basics and pressure the ball this season.

Furthermore, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to have to step up their rim protection if the Lakers really are going to move them to power forward and center, respectively. Those Miami Heat teams with LeBron at power forward were amazing – but that was nearly 10 years ago!

Barring injuries to LeBron James or Anthony Davis, the Lakers will have a strong bounce-back season. I expect them to add an extra piece in free agency (I like soon-to-be free agent guards Kyle Lowry or Lonzo Ball alongside LeBron and AD) to bolster their starting lineup, but the core identity needs to be re-established immediately.

No matter who is on the team, the Lakers need Anthony Davis to not only assert his dominance on offense but also to anchor an aggressive defense predicated on-ball pressure and denying all passing lanes.

Just like Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks did in the NBA Finals.