Lakers failed to fix glaring flaw keeping them from title contention

No team in the NBA went through a more drastic roster facelift this offseason than the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only did they lose franchise icon LeBron James in free agency, but they also flipped half of their roster in the open market. The same old problem plaguing this team remains, and that is precisely what prevents them from being safely tabbed as real championship contenders.

The Lakers roster, as it currently stands, still lacks the necessary athleticism to have a good enough ceiling on the defensive end that could realistically allow them to duke it out against the best teams in the league. They did usher in a handful of heady free agents this summer, but those players hardly address the elephant in the room from last season, which is defensive acuity.

Lakers' offseason acquisitions aren't enough to contend

Los Angeles' brass brought in Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle and Kevon Looney this offseason. All of them make sense as summer additions for this particular iteration of the Lakers, but none of them can be deemed elite athletes in any way. 

Of those acquisitions, only Kessler and Thybulle are known as above-average defenders. One could argue that Looney is of the same ilk, but he is way too injury-prone to even be a needle-mover in that regard.

Having Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, one of the most high-octane scoring duos in the league, will undoubtedly give the Lakers a bunch of wins against inferior competition. However, against contenders like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets, their lack of solid defenders will be their failure.

The Lakers have enough juice on the scoring end to run teams out of the gym, but they also have way too little on defense, so opposing squads will likewise be more empowered to just outscore them in order to win games. Until and unless they get more athletic studs on their roster, that will remain the case, notwithstanding the fact that they have an MVP-caliber player leading them.