Since acquiring Luka Doncic at the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers have ranked 16th in the NBA for defensive rating.
Head coach JJ Redick’s team had somewhat of a defensive resurgence during the early weeks of March but flatlined as games started coming thick and fast.
Offensively, the Lakers are just outside the top 10, sitting 12th since adding Doncic. The LeBron James and Doncic duo has begun showing signs of an elite partnership — from one side of the court.
Herein lies the problem.
James isn’t in his prime anymore. He can’t be the guy to anchor a defense the way he did during his time with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Instead, James must pick his spots, switching onto opposing ball-handlers when it makes sense.
According to an NBA scout who recently spoke with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Doncic’s shortcomings on the defensive end could finally expose James’ age.
“Luka has to guard somebody, and you can wear him down,” the scout told ESPN. “When LeBron is on the weak side, he switches so he doesn’t have to move as much. I’ve seen him do it several times in one possession. In the playoffs, you will see teams target LeBron and Luka and put them in the pick-and-roll. The thing with LeBron is he’s not going to foul; you can score on him with the right matchup. With the right personnel, he could be exposed on defense in the playoffs. He’s amazing, taking nothing from him, but it’s a worry.”
Redick doesn’t have enough high-level defenders to ensure James is quickly switched out of action. Therefore, the 40-year-old superstar will be forced into playing on-ball defense at a rate we haven’t seen from him in years.
James may be defying the aging process, but asking him to anchor a defense throughout the postseason will be a step too far. It’s also unlikely that the Lakers can rely on their offense to outscore teams at a high enough rate to be considered contenders.
Los Angeles is still a year or two away from building a contending roster. As such, the true Doncic experience is yet to begin. However, concerns regarding his limited defense are already arising. Unfortunately, James can’t be the guy to cover for Doncic, especially at this career stage.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka must build a defensively versatile supporting cast. Otherwise, Doncic’s defense shortcomings will continue to hold the Lakers back for years.
