Luke Walton Has Lakers Working On Defending Without Fouling

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read


Playing defense in the NBA isn’t easy, as the Los Angeles Lakers have found out this preseason. After suffering the indignity of having one of the worst defenses in the league last season, the team, along with new head coach Luke Walton, is hoping to right that wrong this year.

While intensity is certainly part of the equation, it can’t account for everything. In the NBA, where players are experts at drawing fouls (and others downright wizards, like Lou Williams), defending without having the whistle blow can be tricky. So far in the preseason the Lakers have worked on ramping up their defense, but have also been called for the third-most fouls in the league, which is making a negative impact by giving opponents extra trips to the free throw line.

Walton spoke with Tania Ganguli of the L.A. Times about how he hopes to get the Lakers to play defense without fouling:

“Simple answer, which I know isn’t the way it ever plays out, is get to where you’re supposed to be on time,” Walton said. “You’re at a deficit in this league when you’re trying to chase someone down or slide to somebody. It’s natural to want to try to swipe at the ball or do something where you shell them a little bit. But what we encourage is you get your chest on them, hands out, and then know that we’re gonna have weakside help coming over and they’ll take care of the layup or whatever type of shot it turns into.”

For the Lakers, finding the balance between playing tight defense and fouling will be a must. Still, for as much emphasis has been placed on the kind of offense that Walton would bring to Los Angeles, we have already seen defensive improvements from players like Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, and Nick Young.

It’s still early, and no one knows exactly what this Lakers team will become, but for the time being it does appear that they are headed in the right direction–on both ends of the floor.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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