Lakers must pair Austin Reaves with Quentin Grimes to recreate defensive magic

The Los Angeles Lakers should pair Austin Reaves with Quentin Grimes to bolster their defensive rating and support title contention under head coach JJ Redick. Following an offseason roster overhaul centered around Luka Doncic, achieving top-ten efficiency rankings on both offense and defense is considered critical for the franchise.

Reaves demonstrated defensive value last season, posting a 107.6 defensive rating alongside Marcus Smart compared to a 114.2 rating overall. However, Redick played the duo together for only 673 minutes, highlighting the need to utilize Grimes alongside Reaves more consistently at the point of attack.