Lakers' mediocre defense exposed in season opener

The Los Angeles Lakers added Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton this summer specifically to shore up their defense, which was severely exposed in their playoff series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In their season opener against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers were plagued with the same defensive issues from last season, be it poor communication, late closeouts on shooters or weak rotations.

It also didn't help that the Lakers went up against a Warriors offense that relies heavily on misdirection and off-ball movement. There were several instances when Luka Doncic and Gabe Vincent were caught napping as a Warriors player cut to the rim for an easy layup.   

Lakers defense in shambles

Lakers legend James Worthy feels JJ Redick's decision to insert Vincent into the starting unit — in place of the injured LeBron James — is not the ideal recipe from a defensive standpoint. In Doncic, Vincent and Austin Reaves, the Lakers started three subpar defenders on Tuesday, which Worthy feels could be a disaster until James' return.

"It's a hard task for Gabe as a starter, because he has to defend starters," Worthy told Spectrum SportsNet. "And they [Warriors] put a lot of pressure on him. Golden State was just seeking out players — 'we're gonna post up Austin Reaves, we're gonna go at Gabe.' In the NBA, you can't just rely on team defense anymore."

Worthy said he expects similar problems to persist, and the Lakers may be forced to start Jarred Vanderbilt or Marcus Smart, the team's best perimeter defenders, despite their limited offensive output.

Should Lakers start Marcus Smart?

Smart, who finished with nine points in his Lakers debut, has never been known for his scoring, dating back to his days with the Celtics. Vincent, on the other hand, shot lights out from deep in the preseason, forcing Redick to insert him into the starting unit.

However, Vincent's inability to be a point-of-attack defender could force Redick to relegate him back to a bench role. On Tuesday, Vincent, as the primary defender, allowed Stephen Curry to shoot 50 percent and Jimmy Butler 75 percent across eight different possessions. The Lakers may need to sacrifice some offense for defense because Tuesday's lineup will continue to bleed points against quality teams.