Let’s start with the obvious: There is no way to fully replace LeBron James.
The greatest player on the planet brings so much to the table that any team would struggle in his absence. The Lakers have felt this void over the last three weeks, compiling a 4-7 record in his stead.
Without James’ top-10 scoring and elite playmaking, the team’s offense has cratered, ranking last in the NBA in offensive rating (100.9), compared to 17th with him active (108.8).
But the Lakers have prevented a total freefall by amping up their defense to top-tier levels.
During James’ absence, the Lakers rank second in both opponent field goal percentage (42.5) and opponent 3-point percentage (32.0), while placing third in defensive rating (103.5).
In their wins without LeBron, the Lakers have often focused on removing opposing stars from the equation, giving the double-team treatment to players like Blake Griffin, who was held six points below his season average.
Using multiple defenders on one player means, obviously, that somebody will be open for the opponent.
Kevin Durant — whom the Lakers held seven points below his average on Christmas Day — was double-teamed often, forcing Golden State to have fourth- and fifth-option players finish possessions.
The Lakers’ defense saved them in their latest game, as the offense was frozen for most of Sunday’s win over Chicago. But they held the Bulls to 100 points on 40.2 percent shooting — just enough to capture victory.
“It was a good thing we made a commitment to each other to be a top-10 defensive team,” coach Luke Walton said, “because we heavily relied on our defense again tonight.”
Much of that had to do with shutting down Zach LaVine, who scored 13 fewer points than he averages. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did a nice job of chasing him around all night, while the Lakers again forced the ball away from their opponents’ top threat.
The Lakers need their offense to defrost. Playing elite defense should result in more than four wins in 11 games, but they have missed LeBron to that great of a degree.
Still, they should be able to carry this defensive momentum through the rest of the season. While they have hit new heights recently, they have been a great defensive team for most of the year, placing sixth in defensive rating (105.7).
Maintaining that level of defensive success will be a key piece to pushing the Lakers’ overall ceiling higher as they inch closer to full strength.