Lakers’ Austin Reaves Takes Blame for Team’s Defensive Struggles

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Austin Reaves took responsibility Wednesday for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ defensive struggles during their ongoing three-game losing streak, acknowledging his own shortcomings in recent performances.

“It starts with me. I’ve been s—ty the last three games,” Reaves said, per ESPN. “I’ve got to be better.” The Lakers have not held an opponent to fewer than 100 points since Dec. 21, with their most recent loss coming Monday in a 126-102 blowout against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs, who entered the game on a three-game losing streak, trailed by nine points at halftime but capitalized on the Lakers’ defensive lapses to outscore them 73-40 in the second half. San Antonio dominated the paint, outscoring Los Angeles 66-40, highlighting a recurring issue for the Lakers’ defense this season.

Despite the presence of Anthony Davis, the Lakers rank 28th in paint defense through their first 37 games, a stark decline from their eighth-place ranking during their 2019-20 championship season. “When we do one to five, AD wants to be on the top,” Rui Hachimura said postgame, per Lakers Nation. “We didn’t really have a low man or anybody protecting the rim. It was tough for us. We have to be more physical, and everybody has to have a mentality of protecting the rim.”

Head coach J.J. Redick echoed these concerns, stating, “I felt like there’s no one in the paint for us. That’s what I saw in real time, and obviously I have to look at the tape, but everything was at the rim.”

The Lakers will look to rebound defensively when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, facing the challenge of containing Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.