Before the Dallas Mavericks decided they could live without Luka Doncic, they made their superstar's life extremely easy with two centers who fit behind him like a glove. The Los Angeles Lakers have had no such success in providing as much since Doncic relocated to Hollywood.
It's not like there aren't aspects of both Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes that lend themselves well to the superstar point guard. There are. It's just not the total package at center that a player like Doncic needs to thrive. Neither are the defensive presence the Lakers are crying out for.
Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II were both incredibly capable of positioning themselves in the right spots on the offensive end for a Luka-led basketball team. That half of the equation is manageable in Los Angeles.
However, Gafford and Lively were both fantastic at holding down the back end of a defense behind their Slovenian superstar. The former was more suited to being a straight rim protector. The latter dabbled with being capable in space and switching (by a center's standards).
Either way, both were far more capable than what Los Angeles has now. That aspect can (and probably will) ultimately sink them this season.
Lakers are desperate for a real defensive anchor on the back end
Moving beyond the Ayton honeymoon phase in Los Angeles has brought back familiar issues for the former first overall pick. The Lakers center flashes some moments as a capable rim defender. They are far too few, largely due to his lackluster motor.
Gafford and Lively were both players who would rarely be caught lacking effort. The same cannot be said of Ayton. It is why many were quietly under the impression LeBron James' recent comments about playing 48 minutes might have been directed, in some part, at the starting big man.
Hayes is more consistent when it comes to motor. Him and Doncic clearly enjoy playing together too. The Lakers backup is just not a game changer on the back end either. Some added defensive mobility does soften the blow a touch here though.
It's just painfully obvious this duo will not be the long-term solution. JJ Redick has even started experimenting with small ball again in light of the shortcomings down low.
The Lakers are on a collision course with having this season end on a whimper. If (or when) hat happens, defensive struggles should be a large factor in that. The center spot will not avoid absolve itself of blame in that moment.