The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a strong start, boasting a 17-7 record so far in the 2025-26 NBA Season.

The team currently finds itself in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff picture as the No. 4 seed following its loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals- despite LeBron James missing a portion of the season.

However, despite the team’s strong start, there have been areas for improvement for the Lakers, particularly on defense.

Lakers Poor Defense on Full Display

Lakers All-Star LeBron James has spoken candidly about the team’s defensive effort following the loss to the Spurs.

“It’s about five guys being on a string,” James said after the loss to the Spurs. “Obviously, you can’t stop a team individually; it has to be five guys on a string. Communication has to be at an all-time high, letting guys know what’s going on behind you and that kind of thing. It’s a unique team. They have six or seven guys that can break you down off the dribble that are super fast, super quick. Some of them are stronger, some of them are faster, some of them are quicker ball handlers. Definitely a unique team, and they got the best of us.”

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James added, “We’re still young in the season for us, and we’re gonna continue to get better,” he said. “I think defensively, we understand that on-ball attack is very important, but first getting back in transition. We can’t give up a lot of transition points as we did tonight and still contain guys off the dribble. So, we will continue to improve on that. More film, more communication, as I said, and just ultimately helping each other out.”

The Lakers are currently ranked  21st in defensive rating. Their woes on defense dont stop their. The team has had difficulty defending the three-point line on closing out on shooters.

While the Lakers have clicked on offense, defensive consistency remains an issue. For LeBron James, a step toward applying more defensive pressure is a priority if the team wants to contend for a championship.

The Lakers may be one of the better teams in the Western Conference; however, it’s clear they’re still a work in progress.