The Los Angeles Lakers look and feel a lot less competitive than their 22-11 record and third-place standing in the Western Conference would indicate. The Lakers don't have anything remotely close to a championship defense.
LA's offensive firepower can mask this at times. But when the Lakers lose, all the wheels fall off in a way that's alarming.
As Lakers observers brainstorm solutions to the defensive woes, they're pointing fingers at Rob Pelinka on charges of poor roster construction. While Pelinka has his flaws, he's actually not the guy to blame for LA's sad defense.