Coming into the 2025-26 season, most believe in the Los Angeles Lakers on the offensive end as the team will be powered by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, once he’s healthy. The question most have about JJ Redick’s team comes on the other end of the floor and whether or not the Lakers can be good enough defensively to really be a championship contender.
A backcourt of Doncic and Reaves is gonna have its issues defensively despite the latter’s best efforts at defending the opposing team’s top guard. And while Rui Hachimura has certainly grown on that end, he is still far from a lockdown defender.