ORLANDO, Fla. — The Los Angeles Lakers have welcomed back their entire roster, but their defense has been notably absent. During their matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday night, the Lakers struggled to contain Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, ultimately dropping their third consecutive game, 118-106.
“We need to reflect on how we played during our eight-game winning streak from February 20 to March 6,” mentioned Luka Doncic, who led the Lakers with 32 points during the defeat. “It seems we became a bit complacent, and we must avoid that.”
The team saw the return of LeBron James, who had been sidelined for seven games due to a groin injury, and Rui Hachimura, who had missed 12 games with a knee issue, to complete their lineup on Saturday. However, this did little to prevent a severe 146-111 home defeat by the Chicago Bulls.
Monday’s defeat wasn’t as one-sided, yet the outcome remained unchanged.
“Some players appear fatigued, maybe due to the schedule or inconsistent game participation,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “It happens during the season when a team gets weary. That seems to be what we are facing right now, unable to maintain the initial intensity we start games with.”
The Lakers embarked on an eight-game winning run soon after acquiring Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks on February 2. However, subsequent injuries, notably to James, contributed to losing seven out of ten games thereafter.
Redick highlighted the necessity for improved communication and re-establishing the rotation’s rhythm. Recent defensive shortcomings, however, are worrying.
“We need to stick to our identity and concentrate on that,” Redick emphasized. “Due to insufficient court time, we’ve prioritized rest over practice, which has resulted in forming poor defensive habits. We’ve seen the consequences of that.”
Furthermore, unusual occurrences often arise at this stage of the season. Allowing 81 points against the Bulls in a half was particularly disappointing, especially as it was the season’s poorest defensive performance when the team was whole.
Wagner and Banchero capitalized in the second half on Monday, scoring 32 and 30 points respectively, while the Lakers struggled to contain them.
“The team revolves around those two, and containing them is really challenging,” Doncic remarked. “We started off well, playing robust defense while they made difficult shots. The way we handled the first half needs to be sustained throughout all 48 minutes.”
Orlando, despite being the NBA’s lowest-scoring team, shot 49.4% (42 for 85) and limited their turnovers to nine. In contrast, the Lakers managed just one block.
“They racked up 118 points. That’s insufficient in today’s NBA,” Austin Reaves commented. “We need to figure out improvements, especially with our switching.”
“In the third quarter, our offense impacted our defense,” Dorian Finney-Smith added. “The responsibility is on us. We have to hold ourselves accountable and deliver consistently across a full game.”