There are a lot of things wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers this season and you could probably write an entire novel about the issues that the team is facing this season. When we just look at the numbers, though, there is a pretty easy thing to spot that is hurting the Lakers.
Defense.
This is a team that prided itself on being one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last two years and stayed afloat without LeBron James or Anthony Davis last season because of the defense. This year has been a different story. The Lakers rank 26th in points allowed per game and they are not good enough of an offensive team to overcome that.
The problem is that the Lakers overcorrected from not having enough secondary scorers last season and favored shooting too heavily. The likes of Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington and Carmelo Anthony are all great for off-ball scoring. None of them can defend.
Don’t even get me started on Russell Westbrook.
Worst of all, the Los Angeles Lakers could have easily fixed this problem.
We can sit here and be hindsight general managers all we want but the fact is that there were some defensive players that the Lakers could have easily picked up in the offseason to be on this roster.
Heck, even with the problems that have existed with Russell Westbrook, I would argue that if the Lakers had these three players then they would be a top-four team in the Western Conference. No, I am not kidding.
In a nearby, alternate reality the Lakers have these three defensive role players with real title aspirations. In this universe, we are left wondering what if.