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The Los Angeles Lakers have issues, folks. Coach Nick of BBallbreakdown.com took a look at the Lakers latest flame out against the Cleveland Cavaliers and focused on what the biggest overarching problem has been for the purple and gold: defense. Clearly the Lakers have issues on both sides of the floor but the defense has consistently broken the back of the Lakers even if they're busy scoring 110 points at times.
It isn't all bad, though. There are a few instances of the defense doing a good job of helping and recovering properly, but more often than not the defense looks unacceptable. Slow or non-existent rotations, poor off-ball defense, miscommunication, and ignoring basic principles like boxing out are just a few of the issues highlighted in the video. It isn't just Kobe Bryant, though his defense has certainly been worth critiquing, it's the entire team. Even Dwight Howard bites and pumped fake by Anderson Varejao which leads to Jordan Hill being posterized, brutally. Here's the breakdown:
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Yep, the issues are very real. Hopefully tonight against the New York Knicks the Lakers defense steps it up both in the half court and transition. Be sure to check out BBallbreakdown.com for all of Coach Nick's work, give him a follow on Twitter @BBallsource as he's always talking basketball, and subscribe to his YouTube channel to get all of his latest breakdown's on not just the Lakers, but the entire NBA.