The Los Angeles Lakers are in a defensive freefall, and the numbers don’t lie. For a team with championship expectations, sitting near the bottom of the league in nearly every major defensive category is more than just a red flag - it’s a siren.
Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back, and frankly, there wasn’t much reason to.
The Lakers are 25th in defensive efficiency, 27th in opponent field goal percentage, 26th in opponent three-point percentage, 29th in blocks per game, and 29th in contested shots. That last stat is especially damning.
When you're second-to-last in contested shots, it means you’re not even in the neighborhood when opponents are pulling up. That’s not just about scheme - that’s about effort.
That’s about want-to. And right now, the Lakers aren’t showing enough of it.
This is a team that features LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves - names that should be synonymous with playoff basketball deep into May and June. But with this kind of defensive output, they’re stuck in the NBA’s dreaded middle: not bad enough to rebuild, not good enough to contend.
Deandre Ayton, expected to be the defensive anchor, has found himself benched more than once in recent weeks. And it’s not hard to see why.
The energy’s inconsistent, the rim protection is lacking, and the results speak for themselves. When your big man isn’t setting the tone defensively, it puts pressure on every other part of the system - and right now, that system, led by head coach JJ Redick, isn’t holding up.
It’s not just on Ayton, though. The roster construction hasn’t done LA any favors.
Rob Pelinka’s build has left the Lakers with a mix of specialists - guys who can shoot, guys who can create, maybe a few who can defend - but not enough two-way players who can do it all. And in today’s NBA, versatility is everything.
Stephen A. Smith’s frustration is echoed by fans who’ve watched this team give up one open look after another.
The rotations are slow, the closeouts are late, and the effort just isn’t there. Yes, the trade deadline could bring help - maybe an elite rim protector or a perimeter stopper - but no acquisition is going to fix a lack of urgency.
That’s the core issue here. You can’t coach energy.
You can’t trade for hustle. Those things have to come from within the locker room.
And if the Lakers want to be taken seriously, it starts with a mindset shift on the defensive end.
It’s worth noting that offensively, the Lakers are holding their own. They rank ninth in offensive rating, and with Austin Reaves expected to return to form, there’s room for growth.
But the blueprint for a true contender is being top ten on both ends of the floor. Right now, LA is miles away from that defensively.
To crack the top ten, they’d need to improve by 4.5 points per 100 possessions - a massive leap in a league where every decimal matters.
This isn’t a lost season - not yet. But the margin for error is shrinking.
Redick and his staff have to find a way to get more out of this group, particularly on defense. That means better communication, sharper rotations, and above all, more effort.
The Lakers don’t need to be perfect. They just need to care more.
Because right now, they’re not playing like a team that wants to hang another banner. And until that changes, they’ll stay stuck in the middle - exactly where no contender wants to be.