NBA Scout: LeBron, Luka, Reaves Playing 'Well Above' Their Defensive Level for Lakers

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired star guard Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks, it was expected that their offense would take a major leap.

However, ESPN's Dave McMenamin detailed how the Lakers made an even greater improvement on defense, with evaluators around the league coming away impressed with how Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have stepped up their efforts on that end of the floor.

"Even their biggest defensive liabilities in Reaves, LeBron and Luka, who is only so-so, are playing well above their defensive standards," a Western Conference scout told McMenamin.

The acquisition of Dončić forced Los Angeles to trade defensive stalwart Anthony Davis to Dallas, but the team managed to mitigate the loss of the big man.

McMenamin pointed out that the Lakers led the NBA in defensive efficiency from Jan. 30 to March 6, a timeframe from after Davis' last game played with the team through just before James went down with a groin injury. Citing Second Spectrum tracking, McMenamin noted that Los Angeles "ranked first in opponent 3-point percentage allowed, second in transition defense and third in field goal percentage allowed on layups and dunks."

The vast improvements have vaulted the Lakers to a 42-25 record, just one game behind the Denver Nuggets for third place in the Western Conference ahead of their meeting on Wednesday night.

James is still working his way back from injury, but when he returns, it appears that the team will have a better shot at making a deep run in the playoffs thanks to its ascending defense.