Coming into this season, many expected that the Los Angeles Lakers would have issues on the defensive end due to their lack of plus defenders, speed and athleticism. But in December, those issues may have been even worse than plenty of people expected.
On Tuesday, they lost 128-106 to the Detroit Pistons in their final game of the month. Altogether, they ended up going 5-7 in December after coming into the month with a very promising 15-4 record, and the blood continues to gush out of the wounds that have been created by their recent losses.
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As of Tuesday, the Lakers, in December, are 29th in the NBA with a defensive rating of 122.4. They also rank 29th in opponents’ fast-break points per game and 28th in opponents’ points off turnovers per game.
Versus Detroit, one of the NBA’s best fast-break teams, Los Angeles allowed 31 fast-break points and surrendered 30 points off 21 turnovers. At times, it seemed like Detroit was scoring in the paint at will, and indeed, it outscored L.A. 74-44 in the painted area.
As everyone knows, defense is the key to winning championships, and if the Lakers don’t rectify their problems on that end of the floor soon, they could end up having to go through the play-in tournament for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: How bad has the Lakers’ defense been throughout December?