The Los Angeles Lakers went from being one of the top-notch defensive teams in the NBA to having the third-worst defensive rating (112.8 points against) this season. Their lack of defensive effort has been a season-long issue.
Needless to say, not having Anthony Davis anchoring the paint has taken a big toll on their defensive schemes. But even so, the purple and gold have failed to at least put in some kind of fight to try and get a stop.
Unsurprisingly, bonafide LeBron James hater Skip Bayless has someone to blame for that. On a recent episode of Undisputed, the controversial pundit fired shots at The King for his lack of defensive commitment.
Skip Bayless Says LeBron Jamesā Only Motivation Is BreakingKareem Abdul-Jabbarās Record
āLeBron has been different this year. He has gone from being a defender and the driving force of a team ranked number one in defensive efficiency to ranking 207th in defensive win shares,ā Bayless said. āThey have plummeted to the middle of the pack on defense and itās really costing them.
āTo me, LeBronās sole focus has now gone to catching Kareem and resting on the defensive end,ā Bayless added.āLeBron will have his chase-down blocks occasionally and heāll have moment of defending but this team goes as he goes on both ends of the floor and Iām sorry but they just donāt play defense. So if LeBronās acting as GM, he shouldāve pushed for fresh, young legs on defense, not Carmelo, Ariza, and Westbrick.ā
While Bayless may have a point in terms of LeBron not being a lockdown defender anymore, he may be ignoring the fact that heās a 37-year-old player on his 19th season. Thereās only so much he should do right now, yet he continues to play at an elite level.
The Lakers should know better than to put all their trust in a 37-year-old but thatās just the way things go. In reality, the supporting cast should be taking pressure off Jamesā shoulders rather than expecting him to do everything on both ends of the floor at this point in time.
