The Los Angeles Lakers are transforming before the eyes of the entire NBA. Long criticized for its defensive generosity, the Californian franchise now shows a completely different face… and this is starting to show in the results.
With a record of 43 wins for 25 losses, the Lakers have taken a lead in the race for 3rd place in the West, especially after their victory against the Houston Rockets. A meeting which perfectly illustrated their new identity: less spectacular offensively, but much more solid defensively.
Over the entire season, Los Angeles still remains in the soft underbelly with the 20th defense in the league (115.7 points conceded per 100 possessions). But the recent dynamic is quite different. Over their last 10 games (9 wins!), the Lakers have a defensive efficiency of 109.3, the 6th best NBA mark over this period.
The match against Houston is the perfect example. In the second half, the Lakers completely stifled the Texan attack: 35 points conceded only in the second half and 15 turnovers caused. All this even though Los Angeles was in difficulty offensively (8/34 from three points).
The game plan was clear, particularly on Kevin Durant. The Lakers increased their chances to two in the fourth quarter, completely disrupting the Rockets winger. Result: an unrecognizable Durant after the break, with six ball losses in the second half.
Pour JJ Redickthis defensive shift is above all a question of state of mind:
« This is something we struggled with earlier in the season. It shows the commitment of our players. We won a lot of games thanks to the attack, and now we show that we can beat good teams with the defense. »
Same observation on the side of Luka Doncicwho summed up the situation with humor before being more serious:
« Effort and communication. That’s what good teams do. Every night, you’re not going to shoot well. »
Finally, LeBron James insisted on the importance of varying the patterns when facing a player like Durant:
« You have to show him different things, keep him off balance. We can’t give him the same coverages the whole game. »
Kevin Durant assumes: “I am the attack”
Yes, the Lakers defense has become elite!
Beyond the numbers, this defensive progression owes nothing to chance. It is also explained by very concrete adjustments in the rotations.
The Lakers have clearly injected more defensive profiles onto the court in recent weeks. Playing time clearly increasing Marcus Smart obviously has nothing to do with it. Through his communication, his ability to organize switches and set the tone on the ball carrier, the former Defender of the Year acts like a true conductor. It’s not a game changer on the stats sheet (although…), but it is one in the defensive structure.
Around him, certain profiles have taken on major importance, starting with Jake LaRavia. The winger stands out as one of the driving forces behind this transformation: he is the team leader in ball deflections over the season (3.4 per match), very active on the passing lines, and omnipresent on 50/50 balls. Lineups with him display a +9.9 net rating, proof of his overall impact. Concretely, he is exactly the type of player who changes a defense: constant activity, pressure on the passing lines, ability to exist without the ball… and an ideal complement around creators like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
In a different register, Luke Kennard also brings something interesting. Used around 23 minutes in the recent period, he is obviously not a stopper, but his defensive impact is more subtle. Well positioned, disciplined in rotations and rarely caught out, it above all allows you to maintain balanced lineups without completely sacrificing defense. His profile shows that the Lakers are not only looking for specialists, but players capable of playing their role in a coherent collective system.
Finally, the case of stars is just as revealing. Luka Doncic, often targeted defensively, shows clear improvement in the recent sequence. Its involvement in assists, its size on switches and its overall commitment make it possible to limit its exposure, with defensive ratings clearly increasing (see below) compared to the rest of the season. Same observation for Austin Reaves, who compensates for his physical limitations with better reading of the game and increased activity on rotations. The two players have not become specialists, but their level of involvement has clearly gone up a notch and that changes everything in a collective defense.
Another indicator that perfectly illustrates this change in mindset: the Lakers’ ability to cause offensive fouls. The team is one of the best in the league in this area, led in particular by Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Reaves ranks in the top 5 NBA with 14 caused charges, while Doncic is in the top 10 with 10 force passes.
Even Luka Doncic leads by example
Over the last 10 matches, several players perfectly symbolize this defensive shift. Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton all three display very solid Defended Field Goal Percentages, with particularly solid differentials (difference between the success of opponents against them and their usual average). We are talking about -10.9 for Smart and -8.2 for Ayton, figures which reflect a real capacity to reduce the opponent’s efficiency.
Even Luka Doncic, although regularly targeted, displays a negative differential (-1.1), proof of a defensive commitment significantly higher than that observed throughout the season. Better still, he is the Lakers leader in deflections (4.2) and second on the team in contested shots (6.1) behind Ayton (7.4).
Among the major players, only Austin Reaves and Luke Kennard still have slightly positive differentials (+0.5 and +0.3), but at very low levels which remain compatible with an efficient collective system.
The comparison with the rest of the season is even more telling. Apart from Jaxon Hayesalready solid around -3, the majority of the squad was between 0 and +5, a sign of a generally permissive defense. The contrast is therefore clear: the Lakers not only defend better, they concretely reduce the effectiveness of their opponents.
The case of Rui Hachimura is undoubtedly the most revealing. Having gone from +4.1 over the season to -7.2 over this sequence over these 10 matches, the winger alone embodies this change in defensive posture. Finally, LeBron James, who played fewer matches in the series (6) also presents an improving Defended Field Goal Percentage with a nice +5.7, proof that he has agreed to blend into the mold drawn by JJ Redick.
Beyond the numbers, it is indeed an identity that is emerging. No player has become a defensive monster. But all of them have become compatible with a real defense. The Lakers are no longer solely dependent on their offensive talent. They begin to win matches by imposing their toughness, their discipline… and their ability to thwart the best opposing stars. And that, honestly, we didn’t see it coming.
