LeBron, Doncic? I can't defend! Los Angeles Lakers under-the-basket dilemma. Coach Redic's defense under the basket is a problem. But I still believe in Hayes
Apr 27, 2025
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With the duo of Doncic and LeBron James, he emerged as the best dark horse in the playoffs this season.
However, they are 1-2 behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost 104-116 to Minnesota in Game 3 of the first round (best of seven) of the NBA Western Conference in the 2024-2025 season at the Minnesota Target Center on the 26th (Korea time).
LeBron James blew up 38 points. This is the most points scored by an ordained player over the age of 40. However, even in LeBron's battle, the Los Angeles Lakers couldn't stop the team from losing.
This is because of the anxiety of the defense under the basket. The Los Angeles Lakers fell short of Minnesota ace Anthony Edwards' breakthrough and under-the-goal dominance of Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
After bringing Doncic in, the Los Angeles Lakers even tried to recruit Charlotte Hornets Mark Williams. However, it canceled the trade after Mark Williams' medical test just before the trade.
Eventually, there was a problem with the big men's jeans. When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Doncic, they gave up key Anthony Davis under the basket.
There is a problem in the short term.
After the game, coach Redic said 'Defence under the goal is a problem. There is a problem in defense. He tries to fill the weaknesses of the defense under the basket with strong activity, but it is not easy due to the team structure. LeBron and Doncic's defensive performance is not good, in a cool way.
CBS Sports said on the 27th that Jackson Hayes started all three games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round series against Minnesota. It doesn't mean the Los Angeles Lakers trust him completely. In three starts, Hayes did not play more than 10 minutes in a single game in the series. In the approximately 26 minutes Hayes played, the Lakers were 18 points behind. His offensive mistakes and poor defensive positioning were evident from the start of the series.
Changes in the lineup of Game 4 are detected. Redic said 'I'm going to go over everything. I still believe in Jackson. However, it is also true that the Los Angeles Lakers do not have a big man to replace Hayes.
The media reported 'Haze is in trouble if he fails to show a meaningful performance in the paint zone. There is no alternative. The Los Angeles Lakers used six different lineups for at least six minutes of playing time. The starting lineup, which was started by Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith instead of Hayes and Louis Hachimura, is also not efficient.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
