Lakers’ defensive progress showcased in two biggest wins of season

After a slow defensive start to the season, it’s been clear that the Lakers have turned a corner on that end of the floor.

And their victories over the Knicks on Sunday and Timberwolves on Tuesday, their two best wins of the season, highlighted how much progress they’ve made.

Based on their roster construction, the Lakers weren’t projected to be one of the league’s best defenses. 

And they knew this too, hoping to be around average on that end of the floor.

But their start to the season was far from it.

Through nearly the first half of the season, the Lakers were an abysmal defensive team, ranking No. 26 in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 117.9 in their first 40 games through Jan. 18.

They struggled on the perimeter, easily allowing drives to the basket because of their lack of containment. Their transition defense – or lack of it – was a regular topic of discussion. And they didn’t help themselves with their turnovers, creating easier scoring opportunities for opponents. 

The Lakers struggled to protect the rim and allowed opponents to shoot a high percentage on 3-pointers – a bad recipe for defensive success.

There hasn’t been a drastic turnaround over the last 7 ½ weeks.

But there have been incremental improvements, resulting in the Lakers ranking No. 14 in defensive rating since Jan. 18 (112.2) and No. 15 since the All-Star break (111.6).

“It’s just continuing to grow and defend with five guys,” Austin Reaves said after Tuesday’s win over the Timberwolves. “There’s so many skilled players in this league that if you try to guard individually, it might work here and there, but you got to defend with a group. You’re never going to defend Anthony Edwards with one guy. You’re never going to defend Julius Randle with one guy.”

How the Lakers defended Randle and Edwards, the latter of whom had one of his lowest scoring games of the season on Tuesday (14 points on 2-of-15 shooting) was the epitome of team defense. 

The Lakers executed their “flood” defense at a high level – a man-to-man defense with zone principles in which a team loads up the strong size on wing isos. They were present in the gaps off-ball.

“You can talk about schemes and rotations and low man, all that stuff, our guys have been a lot better just guarding the basketball,” coach JJ Redick said. “Certainly certain schemes, empty corner ISOs, we’re going to force a direction on a player, but I think just containing the basketball was really good and then when we were in rotation, we did a really good job. Our attention to detail on the Randle and Edwards [coverages] was really good.”

The Lakers had similar defensive success against the Knicks, who they held to 97 points after being one of the league’s best offenses for the entire season.

They still don’t protect the rim at a high level, and they’re likely benefitting from 3-point variance/shooting luck swinging their way, but the intent on the defensive end of the floor is in a significantly better place than where it was even a couple of months ago. 

“Probably just effort and communication,” Doncic said of the Lakers’ defensive improvements. “ommunication is very important on the defensive end, and I think we’re talking to each other a lot. That helps everybody to get to their spots on the defensive end.”

The Lakers won’t become one of the best defensive teams in the league. 

But they don’t need to be.

Competence is, and should remain, the goal for an offensive-oriented Lakers team.

If they can achieve that, then they’ll give themselves a shot to compete against the best in the West.

“I’m encouraged by the defense,” Redick said. “Particularly, we’ve been trending in that direction now for 25 games to be above-average. We’re not going to be the No. 1 defense in the league. But to be above average, and to have those two performances against those two teams back-to-back, is really encouraging.”

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