In preparation for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season, Anthony Davis indicates that he and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates are trying to fix their weak transition defense.
* @AntDavis23 said one of the things they’ve been working on at practice/film room is transition defense. LAL ranked 29th in the regular season in opponent fast break points allowed (16.8).
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 21, 2020
Being ranked second to last in this vital area is a major flaw that needs to be shored up in order for the Lakers to have the best chance possible to win their first title in a decade.
That dubious ranking might come as a surprise to the casual observer, considering the Lakers’ defense is averaging 106.9 points allowed per game, lowest in the Western Conference. That ties in with the Lakers holding the best record in the conference at 49-14.
The on-court performance hasn’t always been stellar by the Lakers, but the combined contributions of LeBron James and Davis have helped obscure that defensive problem.
The extra work being put in by the Lakers is even more important when play resumes because of the absence of guard Avery Bradley, who chose to opt out of playing over health concerns.
Bradley has twice been named to the NBA All-Defensive team and brought experience as a 10-year veteran at the time play was suspended on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Lakers will test out their new defensive strategies in the upcoming exhibition games, efforts that will lead up to the team’s official resumption of the season. That will take place on July 30, when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers in Orlando, Fla.
