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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons they won’t make the playoffs in 2017-18

By Josh Cornelissen

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the preseason game against the Utah Jazz on October 10, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the preseason game against the Utah Jazz on October 10, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. No defensive backbone

A team that only plays one end of the court is not going to be successful in the NBA, and the Lakers fall headlong into that trap. Although there are pieces in place that suggest their offense can approach average, defensively this team is a train wreck.

Contending teams have to find balance, even if it’s moderate. The Houston Rockets won 55 games last season, primarily because of their second-ranked offense. But far from the worst defense in the league, Houston scraped to an 18th-place finish in defensive efficiency. That difference was invaluable to their success.

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The Los Angeles Lakers need to approach respectability on defense, and that will be a tall order for the league’s worst defense last season…and the season before that. In 2014-15 they were just 29th in the league; the season before 28th. Any improvement on defense will be a major departure from their recent history.

It cannot be blamed on the coach either, as the problem has been perpetuated for years and years, well before Luke Walton became coach. In order to fix it, Walton needs to find a way to motivate his players to play hard every possession.

Otherwise, a bottom-five defense is almost certainly a death sentence for their playoff hopes. The lowest-ranked defensive team to make the playoffs last year was the Portland Trail Blazers at 24th. That is a reasonable benchmark to gain in order to have hopes for the postseason.

Next: 2017-18 Week 1 NBA Power Rankings

But to reach that level this team needs the personnel, and they simply don’t have it with too many young players or veterans past their prime. The Lakers need defense, focus, experience and a whole lot of luck. Perhaps that will come down the line, but all of the evidence proves that it will not happen this season and the Lakers will miss the playoffs.

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