Although we are entering the second half of the NBA season, the reverberations of the Luka Dončić trade are still fresh on the minds of NBA fans. It still feels surreal to see him in a Lakers jersey alongside LeBron James, even in the two games he did play limited minutes in prior to the break.
There seems to be a different energy around the Lakers this season as, even before the Anthony Davis trade, they started to turn the corner on the season and settle into a rhythm that helped them ascend to the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs race. Still, there are questions that need to be answered and flaws that need to be worked out for the Lakers to achieve the ultimate levels of success this season.
As the Los Angeles Lakers head into the second half of the NBA season, their biggest challenge lies in how head coach JJ Redick manages the roster’s strengths and weaknesses to create winning rotations. The team’s struggles with defensive rotations and offensive synergy remain significant hurdles. To compete in the highly competitive Western Conference, which includes the deep and versatile Oklahoma City Thunder, Redick will need to find effective solutions quickly.
Defensive Woes Despite Personnel
When the Lakers traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Luka Dončić, they sacrificed their defensive anchor and a promising three-and-d wing to secure a generational offensive talent that can push them into the future. The Laker’s defense wasn’t phenomenal with Davis and Christie, who fluctuated in and out of the rotation during his time with the team.
Despite Pelinka’s impressive move to bring in Dončić, the team still struggles with interior defense and toughness in the paint, as highlighted by the Lakers’ pre-All-Star break loss to the Jazz. The Lakers roster has its flaws—good enough to make a playoff push with the aging but still incredible LeBron James and Luka Dončić, but it will certainly need upgrades to stay competitive as they transition into the Doncic era once James ultimately retires.
Even with capable defenders like Jared Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith on the roster, JJ Redick’s rotations have leaned heavily on offensive firepower rather than prioritizing defensive presence. This has often left the team vulnerable to scoring runs, particularly when neither Doncic nor James applies consistent defensive pressure. For instance, during recent games against playoff-caliber opponents, the Lakers’ bendable defense became a glaring issue, allowing open looks and easy penetration.
Still, there are glimmers of hope for this season. James has shown that he can be a capable defender at the four spot roaming freely as a help defender and still agilely working passing lanes to intercept errant passes on defense. He’s also shown to be a capable post defender who can use his strength to keep most forwards and centers in check offensively. Also, Vanderbilt, Finney-Smith, and Gabe Vincent help raise the floor of the Laker’s defense. While they’re not the best in the league that unit can certainly cause opposing offenses headaches.
But, there lies the problem. The Lakers aren’t maximizing their three defensive-minded role players properly in the rotation, especially with Dončić on the floor. It’s only been two games but the small sample size leaves little to be desired. Their ability to easily blow by the Lakers’ wing defenders puts pressure on the back line of Los Angeles’s defense to step up to stop the penetration into the paint, leaving them at the mercy of the opposing offense to either kick out for a three or find an easy inside shot with their only true shot-blocking threat now rocking a Mavericks jersey.
To fix this, the Lakers need to ensure that at least one defensive-minded wing shares the floor with LeBron and Luka at all times. Vanderbilt and Finney-Smith offer the perfect solution—both are versatile defenders capable of guarding multiple positions. Strategically incorporating them into lineups more will bolster the team’s defensive identity while covering for Luka and LeBron’s occasional lapses.
This then bleeds into the offensive strategy, as Redick seems committed to keeping Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup at small forward for his offensive versatility. Vanderbilt is a capable defender but still needs to grow his offensive game. Finney-Smith, with his 6’7″ frame and 37% three-point shooting on the year, certainly seems like a perfect candidate to join the starting unit.
But who should he replace? The choice is clear, He should replace Austin Reaves in an effort to provide a spark to the defensive scheme, fully unlock Dončić’s offensive potential, and provide a spark of scoring and playmaking in the second unit.
The Luka-Reaves Offense Conundrum
Offensively, we know Luka Dončić is a wizard with the basketball. His ability to read defenses, create opportunities, and score at will has made him one of the most exciting players in the NBA. But integrating Luka’s skill set into the Lakers’ offense alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves has presented a unique challenge.
The problem? Too many ball-dominant players sharing the court at once. James has openly stated that he is willing to be a more off-ball player as he’s fully settled into being a power forward. But, with Doncic on the roster, Reaves’s fit in the starting lineup causes interesting conversations.
While Reaves is an excellent complementary piece and an amazing third option, having him share the playmaking load with Doncic in critical stretches disrupts the natural rhythm of the offense. Luka thrives in a heliocentric role, much like when he was with the Dallas Mavericks. Asking him to defer undermines his strength as an offensive initiator.
For the Lakers to truly be competitive they need to empower Doncic as the primary creator. James has become one of the league’s best off-ball scorers and slashers and has proven that he can be a great secondary initiator. Putting Doncic in the point guard position with Dorian Finney-Smith in the shooting guard role as he’s tasked to space the floor and guard the best guards in the league could certainly reinvigorate the Lakers.
Reaves moving back to the bench unlocks various rotations that Redick could deploy, particularly lineups where both Doncic and James are on the bench. Reaves has proven to be an amazing third star for the team, even putting on an amazing show in a wire-to-wire victory over the Indiana Pacers in a game where James was ruled out and Luka hadn’t taken the court yet.
Reaves scored a career-high 45 points as he led the team to a resounding victory over a playoff contender. Redick should allow Reaves to man his own unit off of the bench and also slot him alongside James in the team’s Luka-less stretches to continue high-level playmaking and shot-creation abilities.
If the Lakers can shore up their defense by integrating versatile wings and fully committing to Luka as the offensive centerpiece, they’ll not only improve but also position themselves as true title contenders. They’ll be a truly scary matchup in the playoffs, as Luka Dončić proved that he can take the best defensive teams in the west to task with his uncanny ability to score.
Although the roster is flawed, the talent is there to make a run. Both Dončić and James have done more with less talent on their roster. Now, they have the puzzle pieces of a contender with a scary offensive attack and wing defenders that should at least be able to keep opposing teams honest.
Now is the time for JJ Redick and the Lakers to rise to the occasion. The clock is ticking.
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