Rival coach notices 'obvious change' sparking Lakers, and it's not Luka Doncic
03/20/2025 11:05 AM
When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, giving up Anthony Davis in the process, there was some level of concern regarding the defensive end of the floor, especially without an addition at center after the Mark Williams trade fell through due to a failed physical. However, the Lakers’ defense has been strong after the addition of Doncic, and Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer identified why that is the case.
“They look like they’re connected,” Mike Budenholzer said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It looks like they’re covering for each other, a commitment to that end of the court. It looks to be improved.”
The Lakers seemingly are playing better team defense as a unit. Earlier in the season, the Lakers lost multiple times to the Suns, but Budenholzer saw that defensive improvement from Los Angeles during Phoenix’s recent 107-96 loss to them.
Things seem to be gelling with the Lakers at this point in the season, despite some of the concerns that were present when they acquired Doncic in the shocking trade with the Mavericks. Pairing this defensive performance with the offensive potential that the Lakers have with Doncic and LeBron James on the floor together makes them a scary team to face in the playoffs.
Currently, the Lakers sit at 43-25 with 14 games left in the regular season. They are likely going to play meaningful games down to the very end of the regular season, as the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies are all very much in the running for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors are in the picture as well due to their strong play since acquiring Jimmy Butler III.
The Lakers have big matchups with the Grizzlies, Rockets, Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder down the stretch, and it will be interesting to see how they stack up
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