Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler believes that the current roster has the potential to be "nasty" on defense. In fact, he cast potential aside and made the straightforward claim that the Lakers are going to be exactly that in 2026-27.
Though Los Angeles has the personnel to achieve the feat of dominating on defense, they also have three high-volume question marks: Luka Doncic, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton.
Doncic is the franchise player and reigning league leader in both points per game and usage rate. He will, thus, be on the court often and trusted to hold his own. Mamukelashvili and Sexton, meanwhile, project to be the Lakers' first two players off of the bench and the duo that effectively combines for the role of sixth man.
Each offer a surplus of reasons for optimism on the offensive end of the floor, with collective skills in shot creation, spacing, and playmaking likely helping to define the team's success.
Unfortunately, all three also have red flags on the defensive end of the court. One could be hidden, but if there are ultimately lineups that call for a combination of them to be on the court, then the Lakers' offensive potential will likely be offset by their defensive deficiencies—and the same will apply in the playoffs regardless of which of the three is playing.
Kessler should be able to anchor a "nasty" defense, but the Lakers need all three of their offensive standouts to show signs of improvement as defenders if they're hoping to realize their potential.
1. Luka Doncic
Doncic is coming off of a season during which he averaged 33.5 points and 8.3 assists per game. He's also made an NBA Finals and two Conference Finals as the clear-cut No. 1 on his team. As such, it's difficult to level too much criticism against him.
Unfortunately, Doncic is still a known ball-watcher and an inconsistent isolation defender who needs to at least achieve a more desirable level of consistency to help the Lakers tap into their full potential.
The good news is that Doncic has proven in the past that he can lock in and play effective defense. He did so during both of the Dallas Mavericks' deep playoff runs. The bad news is that he's yet to truly do it over the course of a full regular season, even as he's improved his ball-hawking proficiency.
Doncic ranked No. 6 in the NBA in steals per game in 2025-26. Unfortunately, he also finished in the 43rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 20th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, and the fifth percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index.
Doncic simply can't continue to rank on the lower end in those defensive measurables if the Lakers are hoping to defend to their full potential or realize their contending dreams.
2. Sandro Mamukelashvili
The single biggest question mark on the Lakers' roster is where Mamukelashvili most ideally fits. He played 93 percent of his minutes at center in 2025-26 and 60 percent at the 5 in 2024-25, but Los Angeles signed Kevon Looney with the apparent intention to play him as Kessler's backup.
If that proves to be the case, then Mamukelashvili's underwhelming defense in space could prove detrimental to team success. If he plays the 5, questions will still persist.
Effort isn't too much of an issue here, as Mamukelashvili plays hard and attempts to get stops. The hurdle is the simple fact that he can be isolated and exploited as a defender, and isn't exactly the most ideal candidate to chase modern 4s around the court.
This past season, Mamukelashvili ranked in the 14th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 24th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, per Basketball Index. To make matters worse: Mamukelashvili ranked in the 43rd percentile in rim protection, the 15th percentile in rim disruption, and the 21st percentile in rim deterrence.
With this in mind, finding Mamukelashvili's ideal role will be an essential goal for JJ Redick to complete if the Lakers hope to excel on defense.
3. Collin Sexton
Sexton has the tools to be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. He's not only a high-volume scorer and playmaker, but one of the most balanced and efficient players south of the All-Star line. Look no further than his career average of 18.3 points per game on .472/.389/.841 shooting.
If Sexton is going to maximize his impact on the Lakers, however, then he'll also need to be able to step up on the defensive end of the floor.
Sexton is by no means a bad defender. This past season, he ranked in the 77th percentile in off-ball chaser defense and the 95th percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index. Unfortunately, every player has flaws—and Sexton's just so happens to be defending in isolation.
Sexton ranked in the 39th percentile in perimeter isolation defense in 2025-26 and is thus likely to continue to be targeted. If that proves to be the case, then the Lakers will need him to be able to get stops and avoid a future as a weak link.
If Sexton is unable to do so, then the Lakers' defense will inevitably suffer with him at the top of the key. If he course corrects, however, then Kessler's prediction should come true.
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