Walker Kessler took responsibility for the Lakers’ poor defense vs. Blazers

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 27: Walker Kessler #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 27, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

After a stingy showing to open the year against the Golden State Warriors last week, the Los Angeles Lakers have increasingly struggled defensively and reached an early season nadir Tuesday night when they allowed 136 points to the Portland Trail Blazers, good for a 132.0 defensive rating (fourth percentile among all 2026-27 performances, per Cleaning the Glass).

Following the team’s dismal performance, its interior anchor, Walker Kessler, held himself accountable and didn’t think he set the tone necessary for everyone else.

“I got to personally be a lot better on the defensive side. I pride myself on kind of being the leader on the defense and I didn’t perform tonight,” Kessler told reporters. “But we’ll figure it out … It’s a good learning point because our offense looks good. Scoring almost 130 points is pretty efficient, but we shouldn’t have lost scoring 130. Giving up almost 140 is not acceptable.”

While Kessler occasionally struggled with his pick-and-roll positioning and rotations against Portland’s dynamic attack (No. 1 in offensive rating thus far!), plenty of other Lakers labored in their efforts to contain the ball on the perimeter or properly execute help responsibilities. More often than not, the Blazers broke through the initial line of defense and thrust Los Angeles into rotation for open 3s or finishes inside.

Head coach JJ Redick recognized these issues and believes it’s something everyone involved can learn from to be better.

“We just got broken down a lot. I thought the game plan discipline, [know your personnel] discipline wasn’t where it needs to be,” Redick said postgame. “I think sometimes, early in the season, these are good learning lessons that we can all apply both as coaches and as players. How can we teach the scheme better?”

Although the back-to-back nature of Wednesday’s game may complicate things, the Clippers’ 20th-ranked offense shouldn’t present as grueling of a test for the Lakers. Regardless, this matchup is still a chance to bounce back and rectify some of Tuesday’s recurring problems that ultimately sunk them in their first loss of the season. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.