The Lakers may be becoming an elite defensive team

When the Los Angeles Lakers lost five of their first eight games this season, some felt it was evidence that they were nothing more than a top-heavy team that would do no better than reaching the play-in tournament.

But since then, things have been changing. They have now won 11 of their last 15 games, and with a 14-9 record, they have climbed into fifth place in the Western Conference. In fact, they ended Friday tied with the Denver Nuggets, who are in fourth place since they hold the tiebreaker by virtue of defeating the Lakers on opening night. In addition, L.A. is in a virtual tie with the third-place Dallas Mavericks and one game behind the second-place Oklahoma City Thunder.

The team still has issues. It is 26th in 3-point shooting and 29th in 3-point attempts, and the book on the Lakers seems to be to make it fire away from the outside.

But they have been winning with defense lately. In fact, they may be turning into a powerhouse on that end of the floor.

A look at the Lakers' improved defense

Late last season, after the trades that remade their roster, the Lakers were one of the NBA’s best defensive teams, as they ranked fourth in defensive rating after the All-Star break.

Since taking over as their head coach just prior to last season, Darvin Ham has been building a culture and identity that has been based on defense. It seems to be continuing to work.

Los Angeles is ranked seventh in defensive rating so far this season, but in their last 15 games, it has been even better than that. During that span, it has been third in that category.

In addition, in those last 15 games, the Lakers have been 10th in points allowed in the paint, second in free throw attempts per game given up and tops in fewest fouls committed.

This sizable improvement on that end of the floor coincided with Ham’s decision to move guard Austin Reaves to the bench and instead start Cam Reddish. The insertion of Reddish into the team’s starting lineup has given it more length, while Reddish’s ability to pressure opposing ball-handlers and get steals and deflections has helped it harass its opponents.

In addition, the return of forward Jarred Vanderbilt has allowed the Lakers to switch better defensively, and in their last couple of games, it looks like they have been switching more often on defense than they previously did.

Because the Lakers have been excelling on defense, they have been able to get out in transition, which is when they’re at their best offensively. They’re seventh in fast-break points per game and third in that category in the last 15 games.

Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire