International Hoops

Here’s why Lakers are struggling in defense

Here's why Lakers are struggling in defense

Jan 25, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The new-look Lakers are far from being a good defensive team. With the majority of the roster being veterans, the players are not giving their best effort on the defensive end and the statistics support such conclusion.

As observed by Trevor Lane, the Lakers are 18th in distance traveled on defense and last in distance traveled per game. They are also near the bottom in average defensive speed but are 17th in defensive rating which points to the fact that the players are giving their all in defense.

Lane gave two examples of the Suns and the Celtics as two solid defenses where the players are connected and are not in need of flying around to cover open opponents.

Random stat time: Despite being 4th in the NBA in pace, the Lakers are dead last in…

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