The NBA Playoffs are in the final stretch, with one of four teams who haven’t gotten used to winning hardware set to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy. As much as the NBA would have loved the storyline of LeBron James winning a championship at age 40, the Los Angeles Lakers simply weren’t good enough. With James’ future uncertain, the Lakers have a crucial offseason ahead. While they sit at home, they could learn some things from the rest of the playoffs.
ESPN’s Zach Kram gave seven lessons for all other 26 teams to learn from the remaining four squads in the postseason. Kram also made sure to pinpoint which teams would benefit from specific lessons. The Lakers were mentioned in five of those seven, with one of the remaining two being reserved for Eastern Conference teams only.
Lakers need to get deeper, foul more and help Luka Doncic on defense in 2025-26
These were the lessons pointed out by Kram that are of importance to the Lakers.
- The importance of reliable rotational depth.
- How to hide an offensive-minded guard on defense.
- Why it’s OK to foul.
- How to stymie the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- How to get the most out of non-stars.
The last one applies to every team in the NBA, while the Thunder point applies to every Western Conference squad. Focusing on the other three, the Lakers should really take note of them.
Los Angeles has struggled to create a deep roster where bench players play vital roles, either in terms of scoring or other aspects of the game. Then there’s the ability to “hide” an offensive guard who struggles on the other side of the ball, which would be Luka Doncic. The superstar is a liability on defense, and without Anthony Davis in the fold, the Lakers struggled to back him up on defense particularly in the playoffs.
As for the final point about fouling, Kram had this to say about it: “This season, the Nuggets, Mavericks, Bulls, Bucks and Lakers all had average or worse defenses and ranked among the least foul-prone teams in the league. Perhaps they could learn from watching how the conference finalists defend with their bodies — and don’t relent even after a few whistles go against them.“
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