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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

By Daniel Lubofsky

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 12: The Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 12: The Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

2. Will the defense ever show itself?

Following the addition of LeBron James, Magic Johnson went out and put together the finishing touches on the rest of the roster. Only those who were signed didn’t seem to look like the best fit next to the King.

In fact, they look like the polar opposites of the prototypical LeBron role player, unable to space the court from distance with a need for the ball in their hands to be at their best. James had risen to power with space to work with and snipers to find. This new method of thinking was a risky play, one that could backfire down the road.

The philosophy behind it was not random. Magic had seen what a 3-point centric offense had gotten LeBron in each of the last two seasons and wasn’t prepared to take the same route. Instead, he aimed for versatility with guys who played hard and didn’t back down to anyone.

Combined with a young athletic core, the Lakers were supposed to have a stout defensive attack on a nightly basis, and yet more than 50 games into the season, we’re still waiting on that elite defense to show itself.

The Lakers currently rank 22nd in opponent points per game and 21st in points allowed in the paint. Some of that is due to the absence of their best perimeter defender, Lonzo Ball, but the consistency and effort just haven’t been present from a team with championship aspirations. They currently rank 12th in defensive rating overall.

With so many guys capable of defending at a high level, L.A. needs to focus more on that end of the floor in order to take some of the pressure off their offense, which has the chance to be good, but not enough to be counted upon every night.

If they can manage to do so, it’ll ignite what was once a dynamic transition game and maybe even allow LeBron to close the deal late in fourth quarters, but he can’t do that when the team is constantly allowing a deficit to grow by the minute.

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