The Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest issues defensively continue to be guarding the 3-point line. Even with one of the NBA’s best defenders in Anthony Davis and a number of above average perimeter defenders, the Lakers continually get outshot from the 3-point line with players getting scorching hot regardless of how they’ve shot the ball prior.
Against the Phoenix Suns, that player was Bradley Beal. The Suns guard had shot just 3-of-18 from deep over his last five games but was on fire against the Lakers, knocking down 8-of-10 in the 18-point Suns win.
In the Lakers’ last loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, three of their players hit five 3-pointers, including Marcus Smart, who came into the game shooting under 30 percent from deep, hitting eight.
Darvin Ham and the Lakers coaching staff develop game plans based on the numbers and belief that certain players are less likely to beat them from deep, but it continues to happen and Davis feels the team simply has to guard everybody as if they are top tier shooters.
“Realizing that everybody, no matter what their numbers are, shoots well against us,” Davis said following the Lakers’ loss to Phoenix. “If a guy is shooting 10%, he’s gonna shoot 40 against us. Just knowing that. There hasn’t been a time where the numbers have told the truth to us when we’ve played guys. I mean, even Brad’s been struggling. So we gotta play everybody like they’re Steph when they play us because guys, not just [the Suns], everybody has shot well against us.”
It is impossible to take away everything offensively from a good team, so Ham and the Lakers try to play the percentages. Unfortunately, those percentages have not gone the Lakers way and Davis feels it is now the job of the Lakers to adjust.
This team has the pieces to defend properly, with Davis as the centerpiece of everything. The Lakers are not a good 3-point shooting team, but they absolutely can not compound that by allowing teams to shoot a great percentage themselves. Davis is calling for a change moving forward and now the coaching staff and players have to figure out a new plan.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis comfortable guarding any player in the NBA
Davis is the key to the Lakers defense that can allow them to limit and make life tough on almost anyone in the league. Oftentimes, Davis finds himself switched on to perimeter players and he is fine with that.
“I’m very comfortable guarding anybody in this league,” Davis said. “I’ve shown that I can guard multiple positions, 1-5, and my team is very confident in me guarding those guys and making plays defensively for us.”
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