The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster is their biggest problem. Head coach JJ Redick struggles to put lineups and rotations together that work. The Lakers have three stars, but too many one-way players behind them. It forces Redick to make difficult calls and some combinations are unusable. The Lakers don’t even have eight trusted players to use in the playoffs.
Los Angeles’ shooting and defensive woes are well-documented. They have moved up to 23rd in defensive rating and just climbed outside the bottom ten in 3-point shooting. The Lakers did trade for Luke Kennard to boost their shooting. Redick has the team playing better, and fans are hopeful for the stretch run. Things are coming together, but their biggest problem will be on full display in the playoffs.
The Lakers have zero trusted center options. Coach Redick keeps making that clear as he benches Ayton down the stretch of games. Expect LA to primarily go small in the playoffs, but their lack of depth will be their downfall.
Lakers' biggest problem is their lack of depth
Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves will play massive minutes. It is fair to question if the three stars maximize each other, but they are unquestionably the Lakers' best players. Beyond that, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura have earned coach Redick’s trust. Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard will get minutes based on matchups, but LA has nobody else.
It is a mismatched group that has warts no matter who Redick chooses to flank his stars. He will play Ayton and Jaxson Hayes at the five if the matchup dictates. Expect the coach to have a quick hook if things are going poorly. Redick played primarily small in the 2025 playoffs and will do so again this year.
With his current trusted options, the Lakers will struggle to find enough defense to win in the postseason. They may try Jarred Vanderbilt or Maxi Kleber, but both will quickly get their flaws exposed. Vando offers nothing on offense, and Kleber is past his prime. If both fail, it may leave Redick with nowhere to turn in a difficult matchup.
The Lakers claim they kept their powder dry to improve their roster this summer. Los Angeles had a first-round pick to trade before the deadline and plenty of holes to fill. They got Kennard, but failed to make a bigger splash.
The pressure is on the summer to significantly upgrade the roster and make the pieces fit. The purple and gold need a rim protector, multiple two-way wings, and more shooting. Getting all those pieces in one summer is a massive ask, but the franchise made it clear that this is the time.
The Lakers can’t run it back. They need a trusted center and better options than Smart, Hachimura, Kennard, and LaRavia flanking Luka. Number 77 is one of the five best players in the world. His team shouldn’t be cobbling together the rotation in hopes their massive flaws go unexploited.
The best teams will push the right buttons every time. It is why the Lakers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year. Fans expecting a different fate in 2026 will be disappointed.
The Los Angeles Lakers have no depth at the All-Star break. This flaw will prove fatal in the playoffs. LA can’t expect Vanderbilt to consistently sink jumpers or Ayton to become a rim protector. The Lakers do not have those pieces, and it will be their downfall. The pressure is on to improve this summer. If they don’t, the franchise must consider restructuring the front office. The Lakers can’t compete for titles unless something improves.