LA Sports Hub
Fansided

The Los Angeles Lakers, not Clippers, are still the NBA’s best defensive team

By Joseph Cervantes

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket and foul with LeBron James #23 during the first half in the LA Clippers season home opener at Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket and foul with LeBron James #23 during the first half in the LA Clippers season home opener at Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Before the NBA season, many thought that the Los Angeles Clippers had the best defense, instead, that belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a tremendous start this season, and it’s because of the effort they have made on the defensive side of the court led by a defensive-minded coach, Frank Vogel.

This past offseason, the Lakers made major adjustments towards there roster to improve on the defensive side of the floor. They signed Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Dwight Howard and traded for Anthony Davis.

All four of those players have made multiple All-Defensive teams throughout there careers. The Lakers also hired a new coach, Frank Vogel, who coached the Pacers and were ranked top 10 on defense in every full season and #1 two seasons in a row.

More from LA Sports Hub

Three of the most important factors on defense are rim protection, perimeter defense, and experience. The Lakers are built around this with Davis, Howard, and Lebron in the frontcourt alongside Bradley and Green in the backcourt.

Davis is an early candidate for DPOY as he’s made numerous game-winning defensive plays this season.  No big man has guarded the rim better than Davis this season, even though he plays most of his minutes alongside Howard and Mcgee. Davis ranks first in opponent’s field goal percentage with 24.9% while guarding them. Davis is also leading the league in blocks with 2.9  per game, while the Lakers are leading the entire league in blocks with 7.5  per game.

Dwight Howard is also having a resurgence to his career. Despite serving as a backup, Howard still ranks in the top 13 in blocks per game, but most importantly, he has been staying aggressive and bringing energy towards the Lakers’ second unit. He has been playing his role on the defensive side by putting full effort in.

Lakers are ranked #1 in teams defensive efficiency while the Clippers are ranked #10, although Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have only played four games together. Nonetheless, being ranked #1 in defensive efficiency is a good sign for the Lakers considering that many sports analysts predicted that their defense was going to be a liability.

The Lakers have six players on their team that have been named to All-Defensive Teams, so it’s no surprise that they have been one of the best defensive teams in the league so far

However, the Los Angeles Lakers have dropped to seventh in the NBA in defensive rating these past few games, allowing 103.1 points per 100 possessions. The main reason for that has been the absence of Avery Bradley.

The case for the Clippers as the league's best team. dark. Next

Over the few games, Bradley has been out recovering from a hairline fracture in his leg. As a pest to opposing guards on the defensive end, Bradley has been missed on that end of the court. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Friday.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers