How Jake LaRavia brings ‘juice’ to LA’s defense

LOS ANGELES – While it is Los Angeles Lakers started 11-4 and were among the best teams in the Western Conference, there is room for improvement in the defensive sense. Even so, the Lakers have several players on their roster who have been positive defensively this season, including Jake Laravia.

Amidst some early injury issues, Jake LaRavia started for the Lakers and has since returned to the bench, but no matter where he is in the lineup, his role on defense has remained the same.

“I’m just trying to be as physical as I can defensively. Trying to play the pass, disrupt the ball, get steals, rebound, that’s what me and (Marcus) Smart have been doing well this year,” LaRavia said after the Lakers’ practice on Tuesday. “Now that we’re in the second unit, anytime the starting unit might come in a little slow or even if we’re already going, we kind of just come in and our job is to provide juice every play. Just to come in and be disruptive defensively.”

Through the Lakers’ first 15 games of the season, LaRavia has a defense rating of 115.0, according to StatMuse. That’s good enough for the top six on the roster in terms of regular rotation behind only Jared Vanderbilt, Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Bronie James. Each of these players has been a plus defensively this season.

When it comes to defensive schemes, LaRavia believes this team’s strength lies in their ability to just go outside and be disruptive and physical, rather than one specific thing.

“We’re just going out there and playing with an edge and trying to make as many plays as possible. We’re not letting anything go easy,” LaRavia said. “Smart’s little quote, ‘toughest team makes the rules,’ we try to just go in and do it every game.”

LaRavia signed with the Lakers as a free agent in the offseason after parting ways with the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings last season. So far this season, he has appeared in all 15 games, including six starts, logging just over 28 minutes per game.

He averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals on 48.7 percent shooting from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. His points per game is just shy of his career high of 10.8 he averaged in 2023-24 with the Grizzlies.