The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the 2025-26 NBA season with immense pressure to prove they can still contend in a stacked Western Conference. After another campaign exposed their defensive flaws, new head coach JJ Redick is signaling a clear strategy to turn things around.
While the spotlight naturally remains on LeBron James and Luka Dončić, Redick believes the team’s most significant breakthrough might come from a less obvious, but crucial, adjustment involving two key defenders.
How Does JJ Redick Plan to Fix the Lakers’ Defense?
Lakers head coach JJ Redick says the fix for last season’s inconsistency starts at the point of attack. In a plan tailor-made for the team’s identity, Redick intends to ramp up ball pressure, unleashing Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt as on-ball disruptors to set the defensive tone.
“They plan to use Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt, who Redick pointed out has looked much better physically compared to last season, as on-ball disrupters,” reported Jovan Buha on X, adding that Vanderbilt “has looked much better physically” than in the 2024-25 season.
Speaking after training camp, Redick told reporters that Los Angeles struggled to disrupt opposing offenses consistently last year. This led to the team finishing just 17th in defensive rating, far below championship standards.
“Defense is where we have to take the next step,” Redick said. “We’ve got the talent to score with anyone. What will set us apart is how we defend earlier in possessions and how much pressure we can apply on the ball.”
His marching orders are simple: put pressure on the ball earlier, forcing offenses into discomfort. “With a healthy Vando and hopefully a healthy Marcus, our ability to put more pressure on the basketball earlier in the defensive possession will be a real thing,” Redick told reporters this week. This approach targets a glaring issue from the previous season and is designed to raise the team’s baseline on nights when the offense isn’t humming.
What Is Marcus Smart’s Role With the New Los Angeles Lakers?
As the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Smart brings elite screen navigation, point-of-attack toughness, and a take-the-assignment mentality that the Lakers have sorely lacked.
Redick confirmed that Smart is ramping back up from Achilles tendinopathy and was a modified participant in camp, but he expects him to be fully cleared within a week.
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The job description is familiar to Smart. He says, “JJ told me, ‘If we’re going to get the Celtics’ Marcus Smart, that’s who we want and need.’ So I’m coming out to give everything I’ve got every night.”
Redick has plenty of reasons to believe in Smart’s potential impact. He even recalled needing 13 stitches over his left eye from past battles with Smart, a story he has used to underscore the guard’s relentless edge and underrated playmaking.
And What About Jarred Vanderbilt’s Role in LA?
Vanderbilt’s disruptive length returns after a stop-start campaign last year. Following foot surgeries and a whole summer of training, he says the difference is “night and day.”
Vanderbilt now has the lateral pop and stamina to chase star guards, blow up handoffs, and close space on shooters.
A fully active Vanderbilt allows Redick to toggle between different lineups. With his ability to guard positions one through four, “Vando” can switch, trap, or press full court, freeing up stars like LeBron James to conserve energy for closing time.
How Will Redick’s Plan Look in Action?
This season, fans can expect the Lakers to pick up their opponents higher and earlier on the court, shrinking the floor at the point of attack. The team will likely use a variety of coverages based on matchups, using Smart and Vanderbilt to trigger turnovers with multiple shows, switches, and blitzes. This defensive intensity creates a runway for the offense, leading to more steals, deflections, and transition chances while reducing the number of late-clock bailouts for opponents.
With Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent rounding out the guard minutes, Redick can always keep at least one elite disruptor on the floor. The goal is to forge a defensive identity that travels, raises the team’s floor, and flips close games in their favor.
For Redick, the blueprint is clear: the Lakers need to win the battle of the first dribbles. If Smart returns to form and Vanderbilt sustains his health, the Lakers’ perimeter defense and season ceiling will rise together.