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Brian Windhorst says LA Lakers brought in underrated defensive talent to join Marcus Smart

Originally posted on HITC | By Bergas Agung | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 11:13 AM ET

The Lakers came into the offseason with a clear priority: shore up their defence after last year’s playoff run exposed some glaring issues.

They moved quickly to address that, bringing in DeAndre Ayton to fill a need in the frontcourt and adding Marcus Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, to bolster their perimeter defence.

Smart’s recruitment aimed to bolster Luka Doncic’s defensive capabilities. Doncic has already demonstrated progress, evidenced by his Best Defensive Player nomination at EuroBasket 2025.

But Brian Windhorst said that there is another piece they added who might be flying under the radar defensively.

Jake LaRavia’s defensive potential has the Lakers feeling confident, says Brian Windhorst

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According to the ESPN insider, the Lakers believe Jake LaRavia could be a vital piece on defence, even though most of the focus has been on Marcus Smart.

“I wouldn’t count on Luka for night in and night out [defensively]. They also lost Dorian Finney-Smith, so they tried to address this by going out and signing Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart.

“Now I know Marcus Smart’s gonna be the headliner there because he’s a former Defensive Player of the Year, but I think the Lakers feel like Jake LaRavia is an underrated defensive player.”

Windhorst also pointed to LaRavia’s ability to guard multiple positions as another reason why Los Angeles values him defensively.

“He can guard point guards all the way down to even some power forwards, so they’re gonna be relying on him this year,” he said.

LaRavia’s statistical foundation supports optimism about defensive impact

LaRavia averaged 0.9 steals per game last season with a defensive rating of 113.7. His rating was better than that of Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and even Dorian Finney-Smith.

It is clear JJ Redick plans to use him as a wing stopper within their new scheme.

LaRavia has previously described himself as someone who gives maximum effort on every play and never gives up on a possession.

This mentality fits exactly what Redick is looking for as he tries to establish a tougher defensive identity in Los Angeles.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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