The obvious need for the Los Angeles Lakers from last season’s playoffs was improving their defense.
They addressed this concern by filling the big man’s hole with DeAndre Ayton and signing former defensive player Marcus Smart.
Smart was brought specifically to support defensively by Luka Donsic, who showed improvements when Donsic was nominated for the best defensive player at Eurobasket 2025.
However, according to Brian Windhorst, the Lakers added another undervalued defensive asset alongside Smart.
ESPN Insider believes the Lakers view Jay Claravia as a key defensive piece despite Marcus Smart’s most of the attention it has attracted.
“I’m not relying on Luka during the night (defensibly); they also lost Dorian Finney Smith, so they tried to deal with this by going out and signing Jake Laravia and Marcus Smart,” Windhorst began.
“Now I know that Marcus Smart will be the headliner.
Windhorst highlighted Lalavia’s positional versatility as a key asset in the Lakers’ future defensive plans.
“He’s going to rely on him this year as he can go further into point guard,” he added.
Laravia’s Statistical Foundation supports optimism about defensive impact
Laravia’s defensive metrics last season provide encouraging indications for Lakers fans.
He stole an average of 0.9 steel with a defensive rating of 113.7. This was a positive comparison compared with players like Austin Reeves, Gabe Vincent and even Finney Smith.
The Statistics Foundation suggests that Laravia has the tools to become a quality defensive contributor, especially under the coaching and tactical guidance of JJ Redick.
Laravia previously stated that he is the type of player who gives everything and doesn’t give up on play.
This mentality, combined with his measurable defensive influence, provides Lakers fans with a valid reason for optimism about his role in improving defensive identity.