The Los Angeles Lakers must use Austin Reaves next to Quentin Grimes to ensure they have an above-average defensive rating this season. The goal is title contention. Los Angeles completely remade their roster around Luka Doncic this summer to compete. The hallmark of a contender is being top ten in offensive and defensive rating. For the Lakers to have any shot, head coach JJ Redick needs to play Reaves with Grimes more than he did AR next to Marcus Smart.
Luka’s co-star is an underrated defender. Reaves will never be a lockdown option, but he’s 6’5 with a high basketball IQ. The Lakers had a 114.2 defensive rating with Reaves on the floor last season, which was just 0.1 point per 100 possessions below league average. Their defensive rating jumped to 107.6 with Smart joining Reaves. Only the Thunder had a better mark over the full season.
AR can’t be the point-of-attack defender. He does well as a helper who uses his IQ to make defensive plays. Fans know Reaves will be an elite scorer and offensive creator. The Lakers need to hold their own defensively. To be better than the sum of their parts, LA needs to pair Reaves with Grimes as much as possible.
Head coach JJ Redick needs to make a shift in philosophy with Austin Reaves
Last season, Reaves played just 673 minutes with Marcus Smart. The two guards played over 1,000 minutes without the other on the floor. The Lakers had a 118.7 defensive rating in the Reaves-only minutes and 115.7 with just Smart.
Smart left for the Rockets in free agency, and Grimes was added to be the primary on-ball defender. That is likely a downgrade, but Grimes did play well defensively the last time he was primarily a starter in 2023. Still, coach Redick needs to pair his best perimeter defender with Reaves as much as possible.
The Lakers finally have a rim protector after trading two first-round draft picks and two swaps to get Walker Kessler. That alone should improve their defense and open up more possibilities for JJ to use. Expect to see some pressing and lots of zone. That should help LA’s defense, but the right pairings matter too.
Quentin Grimes needs to become the Lakers’ defensive stopper
Grimes had a 0.28 D-LeBron in 2023 and a career-high 0.108 win shares per 48 minutes, with 0.100 being league average. The Lakers need that version of the 6’4 wing after signing him to a four-year, $60 million contract this summer.
Grimes has shown defensive flashes over the years, but his production has been inconsistent. The Lakers need him to embrace getting stops and spacing the floor. They don’t need him thinking he’s the number one scoring option or trying to do too much with the ball. Grimes will get plenty of open looks playing off the Lakers’ stars. He must embrace his role and take on the challenge of consistently getting stops.
That is easier said than done. Grimes will be on his fifth different team in four years. Offense usually gets paid, but that should no longer be a worry. The 26-year-old just got a long-term deal. To thrive in LA, he needs to embrace his role, and head coach JJ Redick must put each player in positions to succeed.
Lakers’ rotation should be made with defense in mind
LA is going to be one of the best offensive teams in the NBA with Luka and Reaves leading the charge. They will have a top-five offense no matter what other players are on the floor. Coach Redick must think about maximizing the defense when constructing his rotations.
Reaves and Grimes are an obvious pairing. AR needs someone to take on the toughest defensive assignments. When Grimes is out, Redick should put Reaves next to Matisse Thybulle to maximize the perimeter defense.
This is not the only situation for Redick to watch. Sandro Mamukelashvili will struggle to play with Luka unless Walker Kessler is on the floor. The Lakers need to keep plenty of D around Doncic and Mamu, so balancing the lineups won’t be easy.
Reaves pairing with Smart gave coach Redick the blueprint to be an elite defense with him. AR needs that perimeter stopper next to him. The Lakers should make it happen as much as possible this season as they attempt to make their defense better than the sum of its parts.
The Los Angeles Lakers should pair Austin Reaves and Quentin Grimes in lineups. Let Luka Doncic play with Collin Sexton as the team staggers. AR needs that stout perimeter defender next to him as much as possible. JJ Redick and the coaching staff must learn from what worked last season and apply it to the new-look roster. That is the key to exceeding expectations with LeBron James gone.
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