The Los Angeles Lakers have a brand new head coach and a brand new defensive scheme, and the identical outdated issues with transition protection. Sunday evening, the opposing coach bailed them out.
The Lakers permit 1.2 factors per possession in transition, the third-worst mark within the NBA. Monday, when LeBron James missed a three-pointer with the Lakers main by some extent, Collin Sexton of the Utah Jazz grabbed the rebound and drove down for a go-ahead layup — solely to see it waved off when Jazz coach Will Hardy known as a timeout earlier than his shot.
Los Angeles held on for the 105-104 win, however the play was emblematic of the staff’s poor transition protection that is been an issue for the final 4 seasons. The Lakers surrender 26.1 transition points per game, fourth-worst within the NBA.
Final 12 months they ranked fourth-worst with 24 points per game, in 2022-23, they had been fourth-worst with 23.4 transition points and in 2021-22, they had been the NBA’s second-worst transition protection staff, with 22 points per game.
That abysmal transition protection efficiency spans three head coaches, from Frank Vogel to Darvin Ham to JJ Redick. The frequent thread is the staff’s personnel. LeBron James continues to be a superb offensive participant, however as he will get older, he is much less and fewer inclined to hustle again on protection. And extra prone to jaw with the officers.
In fact, James can also be one month away from his fortieth birthday. The a lot youthful Anthony Davis additionally has a behavior of strolling again on protection and groups have exploited this by attempting to run in opposition to the Lakers, even off of made baskets.
It is the staff’s greatest flaw, significantly as a result of they’ll defend nicely within the half court docket. Davis is a superb rim protector, however he has to truly make it right down to the basket to take action. It does assist the Lakers general that the staff shoots 47.9% from the sphere, minimizing the quantity of misses, however they do not significantly get offensive rebounds (twenty sixth in total offensive boards, twenty fifth in offensive rebound share).
It is merely a harmful method to play. The Lakers are successfully giving up free factors each sport, both because of fatigue or lack of effort.
Possibly the staff must relaxation its stars and maintain them recent. However in addition they want James and Davis to guide by instance. If the superstars don’t get again on protection, it is arduous to anticipate the position gamers to hustle sufficient to cowl for them.
Or anticipate the opposing coach to avoid wasting them with an ill-advised timeout.
