Other cause of Lakers Bad Defense

[tamaraw08]

Top 3 are obvious.
1. Lakers really missed KCP, Kuz and Caruso. Schroderls on ball defense was decent to good iMO.
2. Players like Monk, Anthony don't play good defense. Zach Lowe said in his Podcast the the last time Westbrook has played good defense was 5 years ago.
3. Lack of communication and familiarity with defensive system. More than 10 players still learning tendencies, when to help, where to go, who should go back to defend the transition etc.
Not sure if you guys noticed. But when they slowed down the tempo last night, played good defenders like Bradley, Bazemore and some minutes for Reaves, they limited the Cavs' lay ups late in 4th quarter.
Currently, they are top 2 in Pace, but also 24th in DRTG.
Last season, they were NO. 1 in DRTG, but was just 16th on Pace with AD missing 30 games and Lebron missing 20 contests.
2 years ago, 3rd in DRTG, 11TH in pace.

[TylersLakers]

We just have a bunch of dudes who don’t care about D - especially off ball.

Don’t care at all: Westbrook, Melo, Monk, DJ
Care sometimes: LeBron, Rondo
Care most of the time: Bazemore, Dwight
Care all the time: AD, Bradley, Reaves

And even of our guys who do care, they either don’t play a lot (Bradley, Reaves) or are limited due to age & size (Dwight).

Get guys who care defensively into the lineup and we’ll be great. For example: Caruso - who could have been retained on a very team friendly deal.

[Landsberger]

We just have a bunch of dudes who don’t care about D - especially off ball.

Don’t care at all: Westbrook, Melo, Monk, DJ
Care sometimes: LeBron, Rondo
Care most of the time: Bazemore, Dwight
Care all the time: AD, Bradley, Reaves

And even of our guys who do care, they either don’t play a lot (Bradley, Reaves) or are limited due to age & size (Dwight).

Get guys who care defensively into the lineup and we’ll be great. For example: Caruso - who could have been retained on a very team friendly deal.

I agree with this post.

AD is beginning to take possessions off on that end however. Something just isn't right with him. He seems off balance a lot on both ends.

Bradley and Rondo are the smartest defenders we have. Other than that it's a crap shoot on who's going to do what in a Pick and Roll.... It's been as ugly as the D-Lo led teams on that end. It hurts to watch.

[zuju]

Hopefully, THT could give us some decent on ball defence upon his return.

Nunn and Ellington will be liability on this end as well. That's why I do not really want them. Hopefully they can help unlock the other end of the court.

I have a sudden tgought last night. We cheaped out on Caruso. If we did not sign Nunn who earns 5M tgis year, will we be financially comfortableto match Caruso's offer and signed him back? An elite defender with 3pt shooting ability, always play the right way, understand LBJ and already built chemistry with our team.

[stan francisco]

We just have a bunch of dudes who don’t care about D - especially off ball.

Don’t care at all: Westbrook, Melo, Monk, DJ
Care sometimes: LeBron, Rondo
Care most of the time: Bazemore, Dwight
Care all the time: AD, Bradley, Reaves

And even of our guys who do care, they either don’t play a lot (Bradley, Reaves) or are limited due to age & size (Dwight).

Get guys who care defensively into the lineup and we’ll be great. For example: Caruso - who could have been retained on a very team friendly deal.

Amen.

In addition to that, in Pelinka’s defense it must be mentioned that THT and Ariza are both solid perimeter defenders who understand team defense. With them in the lineup, and it’s early but, I’d guess a rank of DRTG #15 would be in the ballpark and this discussion wouldn’t be had. I’d say give it another ten games.

RW and Melo can never be on the same lineup. It spells 3 on 5 on defense.

[stan francisco]

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