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Buy or sell 3 Los Angeles Lakers trends amid sluggish start in 2022

By Jason Reed

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 28: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of the game at Target Center on October 28, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 28: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of the game at Target Center on October 28, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

2. The Los Angeles Lakers are a great defensive team — BUY

Lakers fans should be extremely surprised by the level of defensive play that we have seen this season. This roster is undersized and heading into the year, it appeared that the same poor defense that plagued the team last year would carry over into this season.

However, Darvin Ham has done a fantastic job at putting his players in a position to succeed on the defensive end while stressing the importance of high energy and effort on that side of the ball. The Lakers are overachieving defensively, in large part due to Ham’s coaching.

The Lakers currently have the third-best defensive rating in the league behind only the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. If the team can keep that up and come around offensively, they could be a much better basketball team.

While I am buying them being a great defensive team, it is still extremely unlikely that this is a top-five defensive team in the league when it is all said and done. Instead, Lakers fans should expect the team to finish in the back half of the top 10, which is still a great place to be.

Why? Well, two reasons. First, the lack of size and overall defensive ability will eventually catch up to LA. It is really hard to play 82 games as hard as this team has played them so far and keep up the same level of defensive production.

Secondly, the Lakers have had it fairly easy thus far this season. Despite the 1-5 record, Los Angeles actually has the easiest strength of schedule thus far in the entire league, according to Basketball-Reference.

They don’t have to be the third-best defensive team in the league to be deemed “great”. They can finish seventh or eighth and earn the same label.

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