The Los Angeles Lakers sit near the top of the league offensively with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James shouldering the scoring load, but their defensive inconsistency continues.
In the aftermath of a double-digit loss streak in which opponents poured in nearly 124 points per game, Deandre Ayton made it clear the Lakers’ effort on that end is not acceptable.
“You know, seeing the scouting report of what teams make of us was pretty embarrassing,” Ayton did not mince words when speaking via Spectrum SportsNet. “We’re a really good offensive team, but when you start to look at those numbers in-depth and seeing over a span of games, like 10 games, it’s terrible. Tonight was a great start. From those last two practices and the film meeting JJ really got on us and basically showed us ‘y’all showing y’all ass right now and it’s time to tighten up a little bit.’ Gotta have some pride on the defensive end.”
The Lakers currently rank 20th in defensive rating while sitting 24th in opposing field goal percentage and 28th in opposing three-point percentage. Their carelessness with the basketball only exacerbates the issue, as they rank 27th in points off turnovers allowed and 23rd in fastbreak points conceded, numbers that underline lack of urgency and communication in transition.
Head coach JJ Redick has not shied away from challenging his roster.
The recent win over Phoenix served as a reset, and a strong defensive showing against the Philadelphia 76ers prompted praise from Redick, who credited Ayton’s presence in the paint. Ayton has been the anchor as the “last line of defense,” but even he knows rim protection alone cannot save the Lakers when rotations collapse and perimeter defense falters.
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