The Lakers’ Struggles: A Season on the Brink
The Los Angeles Lakers’ season hit a new low last week, and the cramped visitors’ locker room at Kaseya Center was a fitting metaphor for the team’s current state. After a humiliating 41-point loss to the Miami Heat, the mood was as suffocating as the space itself. Reporters packed into the room, waiting for answers from the team’s two biggest stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were seated across from each other. The questions were simple: How could their defense be so thoroughly dismantled? The answers, however, were anything but reassuring.
James, visibly frustrated, addressed the media first. “We got to figure it out,” he said after the Lakers dropped their sixth game in eight outings. “Because it’s definitely embarrassing, for sure.” And embarrassing it was. Miami shot a blistering 57.8% from the field and an even more volcanic 51.1% from beyond the arc. The Heat tied a franchise record with 24 three-pointers, racking up 134 points—the most the Lakers have allowed under new head coach JJ Redick.
The third quarter was particularly brutal. Tyler Herro torched the Lakers, single-handedly outscoring them while hitting seven consecutive three-pointers. Miami dominated the period 36-20, leaving the Lakers searching for answers. When asked what went wrong in guarding Herro, James didn’t mince words: “Everything.”
After James finished, the spotlight shifted to Davis, who had one of the worst performances of his season, scoring just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. “I hate losing,” Davis said, his frustration palpable. “The way we’re losing, we’re playing bad, blown out. I’m not playing well individually. It’s an accumulation of things, and it’s frustrating.” While Davis took accountability, even a perfect shooting night from him wouldn’t have saved the Lakers from a double-digit loss.
Porous Defense: A Glaring Weakness
Defense has been the Lakers’ Achilles’ heel all season, and the numbers paint a grim picture. The team ranks 29th in transition defense, allowing 1.44 points per possession. Opponents are shooting 63% on layups and dunks in the half court, the fourth-worst mark in the league. According to Second Spectrum, only 64% of those shots are heavily contested by Lakers defenders, a glaring issue for a team with championship aspirations.
One Western Conference scout didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Lakers’ defensive woes. “They weren’t even trying,” he told ESPN after reviewing film from the Miami game. “The Lakers play with zero physicality. It’s easy to get transition baskets. It’s easy to score via pick-and-rolls. It’s easy to post up and cut for easy baskets. Everything is just easy.”
Head coach JJ Redick echoed those sentiments, pointing to a lack of communication and effort. “You can’t play basketball and not talk,” Redick said. “If you’re not talking and you’re not competing, you can’t really make adjustments.”
Effort—or the lack thereof—has been a recurring theme. The Lakers have had a man advantage in transition defense just 44% of the time this season, the fifth-lowest rate in the league. With largely the same roster as last season, when they ranked 17th in defense, their current ranking of 26th suggests deeper systemic issues.
Roster Problems: Missing Pieces and Misfires
Several scouts and executives believe the Lakers’ roster construction is a significant part of the problem. “They need to trade for a good point-of-attack defender that can at least be capable of knocking down open shots,” an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN. Another executive added, “I don’t think they have the personnel to be a good defensive team.”
The anticipated return of Jarred Vanderbilt next month could provide a defensive boost, but his offensive limitations are well-documented. As one scout put it, “They need what everybody wants: a versatile wing defender who can guard 2 through 4 and make an open three. Those guys aren’t cheap, and everybody in the NBA wants them.”
LeBron and AD: Not Enough Support
Part of the Lakers’ struggles can be attributed to injuries and inconsistency from their supporting cast. Austin Reaves, who had been averaging a career-best 16.7 points before a pelvic injury sidelined him, has been sorely missed. “AD and LeBron need consistency from the rest of the group,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “The only guy they rely on is Austin.”
Meanwhile, role players like Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood have failed to make a significant impact. The Lakers’ “big three” of James, Davis, and Reaves has a net efficiency of minus-8.4, the third-worst among 73 three-player combinations with at least 350 minutes together this season.
LeBron: Signs of Mortality
At 39 years old, LeBron James is still putting up impressive numbers—23 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game—but cracks are beginning to show. The Lakers are minus-129 when James is on the floor, the worst mark on the team. His 66 turnovers over the past 13 games are the most he’s had in a similar stretch since joining the Lakers in 2018. Even his finishing at the rim has dipped, with a 65% conversion rate on layups and dunks, his lowest since player tracking began in 2013-14.
One of James’ former assistant coaches summed it up: “At some point, he’s going to just reach a point where he can’t do it. And it seems like that day is getting closer and closer now.”
With James taking time off to rest his sore left foot, the Lakers face an uphill battle. As one scout put it, “He needs help … and he doesn’t have help.”
Originally Written by: Dave McMenamin
