After a slow start to the 2020-21 NBA season, the LA Lakers have picked things up. They overpowered the Rockets in their last fixture and held them to just 102 points. They played phenomenal defense, which was something missing from their team over the last few games.
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In fact, their superstar Anthony Davis called outcalled out the entire team for not playing top-notch defense. AD’s voice reached his peers, and they played terrific defense against Houston.
Anthony Davis talks about th team’s improved defense
Following the 120-102 victory over Houston, AD shared his thoughts on the team’s defense in the post-game media conference. He said:
“I was holding myself accountable mainly, but also holding the team. We got a lot of guys who are really good defensively and we know how good we can be. We know how good we want to be, and it wasn’t shown in the previous games.”
Last season, when the Lakers won the championship, it was primarily due to their elite defense. Although they are capable of shooting lights out, playing defense on a consistent level was their bread and butter last season. Anthony added:
“Tonight we came out very aggressive defensively… and just being more active with our hands, being more active with our bodies… So we just want to dig in a little deeper on the defensive end and make sure that we start picking up the defensive intensity. And start being the defensive team that we know we can be.”
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As of now, the Lakers are 5th in defensive ratings for the 2021 NBA season. But moving forward, they have the potential to crack the top 3 positions in this stat. Moreover, being a defensive beast will help them to chase their dream of winning back-to-back NBA titles.
Los Angeles Lakers – The best team in the Western Conference?
The season is slowly starting to take shape, and the favorites for this year’s championship are starting to form. As most predicted, the Lakers are sitting on top of the West behind amazing performances from their entire roster.
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However, the season is still young and if the purple and gold are not consistent, they might slip off. As AD said, the team needs to become the defensive powerhouse; they have the potential to be one. If they can achieve that in the coming weeks, they are definitely looking like the early favorites to win it all this season.