The Los Angeles Lakers’ revamped defense has been one of the most talked-about stories in the NBA over the past month. Some critics believed their strong defensive play would be tested by Luka Doncic, but that hasn’t been the case at all.

On Thursday night, the Lakers secured their eighth consecutive win, defeating the New York Knicks in a thrilling comeback. Trailing going into the fourth quarter, Los Angeles rallied with a 23-15 performance to force overtime and eventually claim a hard-fought 113-109 victory. What stood out to LeBron James about the win was the team’s defensive performance during the comeback.

“We gave up 15 points in the fourth quarter. We pride ourselves on that,” LeBron James told Lakers Daily.

Some have had trouble understanding the Lakers’ defensive success. However, one player recently faced with the task of going up against the Lakers offered an explanation of how this defense is making things tough for opposing teams.

Trey Murphy III discusses the challenge of facing the Lakers defense
The New Orleans Pelicans, who faced Los Angeles this past Tuesday, experienced the same fate as the Lakers’ previous eight opponents—losing decisively, 136-115, to Luka Doncic and company.

That game marked the most points the Lakers have given up during their current winning streak. Trey Murphy, who scored 19 points in the loss, shared his thoughts on what it’s like to play against the Lakers’ defense.

“They play a really smart defense where they shut off driving lanes, help off guys, and try to funnel everything into the paint, while still taking away paint points,” Murphy told The Young Man & the Three.

Murphy’s comments highlight the high basketball IQ the Lakers display on defense. This was a key element that many overlooked when evaluating how this defense would perform, especially with Luka Doncic in the mix.

This revitalized defensive effort bodes well for the Lakers’ championship hopes for the 2024-25 season. In recent weeks, they continue to rank first in the NBA in defensive rating over the last 15 games, with a mark of 107.7.

As Murphy pointed out, while the Lakers continue to funnel everything into the paint, they aren’t giving up many points in that area. Over the same 15-game stretch, they are tied for third in the league for the fewest points allowed in the paint (45.6).

Los Angeles is also quickly climbing toward the top 10 in defensive ratings for the entire season, with their current rating of 112.5 just trailing the Memphis Grizzlies (112.1) for 10th in the league.

Though some are still waiting for the Lakers’ defensive success to fade, it seems less and less likely with each game they play.