Lakers labeled ‘fringe’ contender by four-time NBA champion Warriors forward originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While some may believe that it’s too early to separate the contenders from the pretenders, a four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors forward didn’t hesitate to identify the franchises that have at least a slim shot of winning a championship this year.
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In the 35-year-old’s mind, the Luka Doncic-led Los Angeles Lakers are a ‘fringe’ contender going into January.
“I still think the (Denver) Nuggets are a contender,” Draymond Green said on his podcast Monday.
“I still think the (Oklahoma City) Thunder are obviously a contender. The Lakers, they’re a fringe. If they can’t figure out the defensive end, you can’t contend. But if they can figure out the defensive end, we know they have the offensive firepower. But they got to figure out that defense.”
Green, whether Lakers fans like it or not, is spot-on.
The Lakers’ inability to form a defensive identity is the main reason they are a complete team. When all three of a franchise’s stars are below-average defenders, it’ll be challenging for it to be in the mix for a championship come April.
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Luka Doncic isn’t quick enough laterally to stay in front of shifty guards, Austin Reaves doesn’t perform well when opponents execute counter moves after getting cut off, and LeBron James simply hasn’t been giving maximum effort on that end of the floor.
Luckily, Los Angeles has time to change the narrative surrounding their defense and work toward becoming a solid defensive squad.
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