This season has been filled with a lot of good and a lot of bad for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The good has featured some smart trades and historic performances from the likes of LeBron James and others.
And the bad has been all about the numerous losses the team has faced.
Lately, the Lakers have seemingly found a good rhythm, even without James, who is out with yet another injury.
They are slowly climbing the standings in the West and beating the rest of the league in an important way: their defensive rating.
As noted by SportsCenter, the Lakers currently have the best defensive rating in the NBA over the past 10 games at 107.6.
The Lakers have been locking it down since their new players stepped onto the court 🔒 pic.twitter.com/UMTSowQleJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 9, 2023
They have definitely looked much more powerful as of late when it comes to defense.
At the center of all this is Anthony Davis.
Davis has been revived over the last couple of weeks.
He has been playing like one of the best big men in the league again.
He has been notching numerous rebounds a night.
In fact, during LA’s last game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis earned 18 defensive rebounds, tied with his most for the season.
Davis has been a beast on the court but he hasn’t been alone.
Others, such as newcomers Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, have stepped up and chipped away at the glass, stopped shots, and overpowered the competition.
SportsCenter isn’t the only outlet to note that the Lakers have become much better defensively now that Davis is playing with this new group of players.
How long will this defensive dominance last for the Lakers?
It has been a long time since the team has led the league in any way so this is very welcome news for fans eager for a strong end to the season.
NEXT: Shaq Says The Fate Of The Lakers Season Rests On 1 Player
