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The Lakers are up 3-1 on the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals for a variety of reasons, but the one that stood out most Tuesday was the team’s defense. On the latest episode of “I Love Basketball” on the Silver Screen and Roll podcast, Anthony and Sabreena discuss how the Lakers developed their defensive identity over the course of the season.
They start by discussing the improbability of a team like this year’s Lakers even existing 2020, as the NBA has increasingly tilted towards small ball and pace and space, and as the rules increasingly favor offensive players. The Lakers seemingly didn’t take into account any of those trends when building their roster; but they landed on a team that made sense in this era anyway, one that put all its versatility on the defensive side of the basketball.
Anthony and Sabreena talk about why this type of team has been so fun to root for despite its relative lack of offensive fireworks. They then segue into how the front office deserves credit for realizing this vision for what the team could look like before most outside observers, and even fans did. Finally they conclude by reminiscing on how special it has been to see this team at the beginning of what could be a very special run.
You can listen to the entire episode in the player below, and to make sure you never miss a show moving forward, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.
You can follow your hosts on Twitter at @AnthonyIrwinLA and @sabreenajm.