The Los Angeles Lakers entered the later part of the 2023–24 season as potential championship contenders after acquiring Luka Dončić and benefiting from a rested LeBron James during the All-Star break. Despite securing the No. 3 seed and homecourt advantage, the Lakers suffered an early first-round playoff exit. They were eliminated 4-1 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that soon after lost decisively to the Oklahoma City Thunder, raising doubts about the Lakers’ championship viability with their new star pairing.
Former Lakers guard Danny Green expressed skepticism regarding the duo’s ability to deliver a title, citing defensive shortcomings and the advancing age of James as major obstacles in their championship quest.
Danny Green Critiques Defensive Weaknesses and Aging Leadership
Green, who earned three NBA championships including the 2020 title alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, highlighted the stark contrast between the 2020 Lakers and the current squad. He noted that the 2020 roster featured strong two-way wings and defensive centers, elements that the present Lakers lack.
On the All The Smoke podcast, Green explained,
I think they lack a lot defensively… I don’t know how many years he (James) has left longer, and it’s think it’s just really hard to win a championship when your best player is 40 years old… Next year LeBron going to be 41….He can still average 30, 20 something but I just don’t see them winning a championship with that formula right now.
—Danny Green, former Lakers player
Green emphasized that despite their offensive potential, the combination of aging leadership and defensive lapses undermines their title chances. The presence of below-average defenders such as Dončić and Austin Reaves compounds the challenge for this aging superstar-led roster.
Defensive Issues Mar Dončić’s Playoff Debut With Lakers
Luka Dončić’s defensive struggles, a known issue during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, persisted in his first postseason appearance for the Lakers. The Timberwolves targeted Dončić defensively throughout the series, exploiting his weaknesses.
Basketball analyst Mike Jagacki from LockdownHoops.com harshly criticized Dončić’s defensive effort in the decisive Game 5 loss, calling it
one of the worst defensive performances
he had witnessed in a must-win playoff game.
Jagacki detailed that Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle exploited Dončić’s wide stance and poor defensive footwork. He stated,
Luka just has such a wide base and poor movement fundamentals on defense.
This issue, reminiscent of the Mavericks’ defensive problems last season that contributed to their NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics, prompted the Dallas front office to trade Dončić for Anthony Davis—an All-Defensive center, although older by six years.
Jagacki further commented on social media,
Lakers can’t even hide Luka in the zone. Gets blown by on the wing, poor footwork – wide base, lung steps, no explosive slide, no positive pelvic angle to generate lateral movement. Looking around for his help – the true sign of a bad defender,
highlighting the serious concerns about Dončić’s defensive capabilities.
Lakers Stress Conditioning to Improve Team Performance
Following their disappointing playoff exit, Lakers coach JJ Redick emphasized the necessity for players to enter training camp in peak physical condition, aiming for a championship-ready roster.
Speaking at his end-of-season press conference, Redick said,
I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,
and added,
And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals who were in phenomenal shape. There are certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately, is we have to get in championship shape.
In alignment with this goal, the Lakers plan to closely monitor Dončić’s off-season conditioning as he prepares to compete in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament with Slovenia. One of the Lakers’ coaches will oversee Dončić’s conditioning and recovery programs during the event to ensure he arrives back in optimal form.
Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, shared details of an arrangement with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. Erjavec revealed,
Within two minutes in a meeting with Rob Pelinka, he stressed, ‘Well, you will get Luka and one coach, and that’s it.’ And with that, we were done. There was no debate at all.
—Matej Erjavec, Basketball Federation of Slovenia president
Future Outlook for Lakers Under Scrutiny
The Lakers face significant challenges ahead as they attempt to build a championship-caliber team around LeBron James and Luka Dončić. Defensive deficiencies and James’s advancing age raise questions about the sustainability of this franchise’s current formula. The organization’s direct involvement in player conditioning shows an awareness of these issues but turning potential into success remains uncertain.
How the Lakers address their defensive vulnerabilities and manage the health and performance of their aging superstar will be critical in determining whether the Dončić-James partnership can truly transform the franchise’s championship future.