The Los Angeles Lakers have shown significant improvement defensively of late after struggling on that end for much of this 2024-25 season. The Lakers have put the clamps on teams to go on a three-game win streak and they’re now capable of having an incredible defensive lineup out on the court.
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— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) January 26, 2025
You’d have a hard time scoring against this lineup. Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Anthony Davis are all good to great defenders. Except for Vincent, they all can hold their own when switched on to bigger and smaller players, which makes them just that bit more difficult to play against.
While the 6’2″ Vincent may not be able to guard bigs, he is the Lakers’ best defender in the backcourt. He struggled with injuries in his first season in LA but is now showing why he was given a three-year, $33 million deal in 2023.
Vincent has a defensive rating of 111.4 this season, the second-best on the Lakers among players who are averaging at least 20 minutes per game. Their fans were once desperate to see the 28-year-old shipped out of town but he has managed to win them over.
The only Laker averaging more than 20 minutes a game to better Vincent when it comes to defensive rating is Finney-Smith, who is at 107.5. The Lakers had lacked an elite 3-and-D wing for years and they finally have one now after acquiring him.
It’s not a coincidence that we have seen this defensive improvement from the Lakers after Finney-Smith’s arrival. While there is a lot of credit to go around for that, he has certainly played a big part in this uptick.
Next, we get to Christie, who has a defensive rating of 113.4 in 2024-25. The Lakers received some criticism for giving him a four-year, $32 million deal this past offseason but he has shown they were right to believe in him.
Davis sang Christie’s praises for his defense earlier this season, as he commended the youngster for how he had defended against some of the elite guards in the NBA. Ja Morant was someone who especially struggled against Christie, as he went 0-6 when guarded by him when they faced off in December.
As for Vanderbilt, he made his season debut in the Lakers’ 118-108 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. He was only on the court for 12 minutes but managed to record three steals in that time and was a menace defensively. Vanderbilt might just be the Lakers’ best perimeter defender and they’d be hoping he can stay healthy the rest of the way.
Last but not least we get to Davis, who is the Lakers’ best defender. Now, his 113.8 defensive rating might not suggest he is the best but numbers don’t tell the whole story in his case.
Davis has made five All-Defensive teams and is a force on that end of the court. He finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year and might just be the best defensive player to have never won the award.
A lineup with these five is probably what Lakers head coach JJ Redick would go with if they need a stop late in the game. You’d certainly fancy their chances of getting a stop too. We might see them out together next when the 25-18 Lakers take on the 12-30 Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday at 7 PM ET.
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