The Los Angeles Lakers are in a better position than most expected them to be at this stage of the season. With six games remaining, they’re 46-30 and on pace to have home-court advantage during the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Unfortunately, while other teams are gaining momentum, the Lakers are stumbling into the postseason and flirting with the Play-In Tournament—and there’s only one way to fix it.

Los Angeles has been undeniably impacted by injuries in recent weeks, including the extended absences of starters Rui Hachimura and LeBron James. They seemed to be getting back on the right track, winning three of four, but momentum has stalled once again.

Following a 123-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Apr. 3, the Lakers are now 6-9 over their past 15 outings—and just 1.5 games clear of the No. 7 seed.

Some of the losses require context, as Los Angeles dropped games without Hachimura and James, as well as one during which all but one starter was rested. 6-9 is still 6-9, however, and the firm grip on a playoff berth is quickly slipping away.

If the Lakers are going to get back to the level that they were playing at before the injuries occurred, there’s a clear priority that must be established: Returning to an elite level on defense.

Lakers must rediscover defensive form to turn things around

Entering the Mar. 8 loss to the Boston Celtics, during which James was injured, the Lakers were in elite form. Between Jan. 15 and Mar. 7, they’d compiled a league-best record of 20-4, due in large part to the fact that they ranked No. 1 in defensive rating during that time.

Since Mar. 8, however, the Lakers are 6-9 and rank No. 21 in defensive rating—allowing a startling 11.5 more points per 100 possessions.

That shocking decline in play on defense is the primary reason Los Angeles can’t seem to get back on track. It’s allowed just 109.5 points per contest during the six games it’s won during the current 15-game stretch, but has given up 122.6 per showing in the nine losses.

That paints a clear picture of what’s gone wrong, as well as how the Lakers can prevent this rough patch from turning into a season-defining stretch of games.

The Lakers are a remarkable 21-1 in 2025 when they hold opponents to fewer than 110 points. By comparison, they’re just 7-15 when opponents manage to score at least 110. Suffice it to say: Los Angeles has a magic number.

In order to turn that into a positive, however, they’ll need to get back to playing with the same intensity that defined their surge up the standings.

The Lakers’ most recent results epitomized that truth, as three starters scored at least 24 points, including two who went over 30 in a 123-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, in the previous game, no Laker scored more than 20 in a 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers are far from a lost cause, but if they’re going to become a consistent team again, it will begin and end with improved effort and communication on defense.