On paper, the Lakers are sitting pretty in the Western Conference.
They are 17-7, which is the fourth-best record in the West. In clutch games, they are 8-0 and they have an overall offensive rating of 118,
the seventh-highest in the NBA.
However, all of their losses have been in double figures and their defense has been a mess even in wins. LA has a defensive rating of 116.7, which is 21st in the league.
These defensive struggles were clear as day in their loss against the Spurs, where they were run out of the gym and eliminated from NBA Cup contention.
After the Lakers concluded practice on Friday, head coach JJ Redick discussed the possibility of making changes to fix the team’s problems.
“We’re looking at everything,” Redick said. “We’ve got to be serious about where we are right now. The continual thing it has a shelf life. The continual failure of things has a shelf life, and then you’ve got to make changes. So, we’re looking at it, but again, I have a belief in the nine guys we’ve been playing, I have a belief in the rotation.”
Previous results aren’t always an indicator of future success. If Redick feels he can fix some of the problems the Lakers are having now, it’s better to do so immediately rather than wait for a losing streak before making a change.
One place where Redick can make a change is with his starting lineup.
The starting lineup, which features LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, DeAndre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, has a plus-minus of -15. They also have a defensive rating of 120.7, which is really bad.
Redick could opt to replace Hachimura with Marcus Smart and see if that helps raise the starting unit’s defensive ability while maintaining their offense, since they’d still have Luka, LeBron, and Austin all on the floor.
Smart just came back to the Lakers after missing six games with a back injury. He was fantastic against the Spurs, scoring 26 points, and he said his back felt good after the game.
Taking Hachimura out of the starting lineup should also help the Lakers with their bench scoring. LA is dead last in bench points, averaging 24.5 points per game.
Another potential adjustment is playing Jarred Vanderbilt.
He’s been rusting on the bench presumably because he can’t provide enough offensively to be depended on. However, he’s an excellent defensive player. Perhaps Vando’s strengths outweigh his flaws, and he needs to be on the floor to help LA’s defense.
The one thing that is clear is that things need to change. If the Lakers continue to play this poorly on defense, eventually their record will reflect it.
So, either the rotation and lineups stay the same and the Lakers improve on their own, or Redick has to make adjustments to optimize his lineups and help balance things out so they aren’t one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
