🏀 Purple, Gold, and Leaking: Can Keon Ellis Fix the Lakers' Championship-Pace Defense?
One-third of the way through the 2025-26 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a bizarre statistical paradox. Under head coach JJ Redick, the team is playing at a 57-win pace, showing incredible resilience despite a revolving door of injuries to their superstar trio of Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
However, while the offense is humming at an elite level, the defensive end of the floor is threatening to derail a potential title run. The Lakers are currently surviving on sheer firepower, but the cracks in the hull are starting to show.
🚀 High-Octane Offense, Bottom-Tier Defense
The Lakers’ identity under Redick is clear: outscore everyone. Boasting the 7th-ranked offense in the league, Los Angeles has utilized the gravity of Dončić and the timeless efficiency of James to remain a threat. However, the advanced metrics tell a more sobering story about their "playoff readiness."
| Metric | Rank | Value |
| Offensive Rating | 7th | Elite |
| Points Allowed / 100 Poss. | 23rd | Bottom Tier |
| Defensive Rating | 30th* | $117.8$ |
| Net Rating | 14th | $+1.5$ |
*> Note: The Lakers' 117.8 defensive rating is currently the worst of any team in a guaranteed playoff position.
This defensive porousness is the primary reason the Lakers rank a modest 14th in net rating despite their high win total. In a seven-game series, a defensive rating near 118 is historically a recipe for an early exit.
🎯 The Target: Keon Ellis (Sacramento Kings)
To bridge the gap between their elite offense and subpar defense, reports from Sean Deveney and Heavy Sports indicate that Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis has moved to the top of the Lakers' trade wish-list.
Ellis is the quintessential "plug-and-play" 3-and-D wing that Redick’s system craves. While his offensive numbers have dipped this year (from 8.3 PPG to 5.1 PPG), his reputation as a perimeter pest remains elite.
Why Keon Ellis?
Elite Perimeter Defense: Ellis provides the "POA" (Point of Attack) defense that can take the pressure off Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić.
Shooting Pedigree: Despite a slump this season, he shot over 40% from 3-point range in each of the last two seasons.
Financial Flexibility: At a cap hit of just $2.3 million, Ellis is a bargain for a Lakers team operating under tight apron restrictions.
⚔️ The Bidding War
The Lakers aren't the only ones calling Sacramento. The Knicks, Magic, Heat, and Trail Blazers have all expressed interest. Sacramento is reportedly leveraging this high demand to ask for a protected first-round draft pick.
The Lakers currently own their first-round picks in 2026, 2028, and 2030. While giving up a first-rounder for a role player is a steep price, the math for the Lakers is simple:
Without a defensive jolt, that 57-win pace may just be a regular-season mirage.
Comments
Post a Comment