The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs had two of the top three defensive units in the NBA last season. The Thunder ranked first with a defensive rating of 106.5 and the Spurs followed not too far behind at 110.4. The Los Angeles Lakers would love to have an improved unit like that.
In hopes of creating a capable defense, there is one thing Quentin Grimes thought could help the Lakers replicate some of the success had by those two Western Conference juggernauts. It comes down to physicality and aggression. Grimes walked reporters through the idea at Media Day.
"Bring that intensity, bring that nastiness. OKC and San Antonio, they play really hard defensively. You can get away with a lot more. So, we're really trying to set that tone."
Grimes added that him, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams want to work toward establishing the Lakers as one of the hardest-playing teams on the defensive end. Of all the things that could be stolen from the Spurs and Thunder, that is a great place to start.
Being tough and physical can help the Lakers defense exceed expectations
There are plenty of skeptics regarding how good of a unit the Lakers can be on the back end. Despite that, players in Los Angeles have are approaching the situation quite unbothered by the outside assessments.
Lakers perimeter defenders are already hyping just how great of a rim protector Walker Kessler is. The starting center has returned the favor by setting the bar for the overall unit as being 'nasty' on that end. Los Angeles has quietly amassed some strong defensive talent.
Sprinkling in the attitude and models from Oklahoma City and San Antonio can help elevate the group further.
Everyone saw it on their screens last season. When you build up a certain reputation for the way you play, NBA officiating will let you get away with a whole lot more on the defensive end. The Lakers got a firsthand look at that in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Thunder.
Heck, even Marcus Smart taught them that during his run with the top franchise in Los Angeles. The former Lakers guard always brought incredible motor to the defensive end. Did that relentless energy sometimes border on too much physicality? Probably, but the referees would constantly let him play.
A reputation can be powerful. If the Lakers can build one on being an intense team, as Grimes suggested, they will be given a lot more freedom to play a brand of defense that can help them overachieve.
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