The Los Angeles Lakers entered their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies holding a 4-3 record after losing three straight games. With news of Anthony Davis’ absence, it was mainly up to LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, and even Austin Reaves to lead the Lakers against the talented Grizzlies who were experiencing an up-and-down season at 4-4. It was interesting that Rui Hachimura was also out with an illness, giving rookie Dalton Knect his first NBA start.
On the flip side, the Grizzlies were without head coach Taylor Jenkins who missed the game due to personal matters and Ja Morant scored 20 points before leaving in the third quarter with a right hamstring injury. In a game Lakers fans expected the team to win, the Grizzlies rode their three-point shooting along with some key contributions from rookie Jaylen Wells and Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 20 points each.
The Grizzlies went 17-34 from deep while the Lakers shot 15-48 and that was ultimately the difference for most of the game because the latter did not have the perimeter firepower going tonight. As the Lakers sit at 4-4, let’s provide a grade to each player who competed night.
LeBron James: A
Stats: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 2 fouls, 5 turnovers, 15-24 FG, 6-11 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 35 mins
LeBron was stellar, scoring 39 points on an efficient 15-of-24 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. He also contributed 7 rebounds and 6 assists, though his 5 turnovers slightly marred an otherwise excellent performance. LeBron did everything he could to keep the Lakers in contention despite the absence of key players including Anthony Davis but that also meant he had to have five turnovers. James still shot the ball exceptionally well from the field and deserves an easy A for his performance.
Austin Reaves: B-
Stats: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 0 blocks, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 7-17 FG, 2-9 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 35 mins
Austin Reaves scored 19 points and added 5 assists and 3 steals, showcasing his hustle on defense. However, his 3-point shooting (2-of-9) was subpar, and he shot just 7-of-17 from the field. Reaves was active, but his efficiency could have been better, especially from beyond the arc which is why he can’t get a better grade than B-. Reaves was also expected to contribute more offensively and it seems that his offensive production is capped out at what it is.
Cam Reddish: B-
Stats: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 3 fouls, 0 turnovers, 5-7 FG, 2-2 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 26 mins
Reddish was highly efficient, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three. He also grabbed 6 rebounds and added 2 steals. Reddish’s energy on both ends was valuable, although he could have contributed more defensively with blocks or assists and was unable to make a bigger impact defending the Grizzlies shooters. He deserves blame as much as anyone else long the Lakers so he gets a B-.
Jaxson Hayes: C+
Stats: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 5 fouls, 1 turnover, 3-6 FG, 0-0 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 35 mins
Hayes was solid on the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds to go with his 8 points. However, his defense was limited without any blocks, and he struggled with foul trouble (5 fouls). His effort on the glass was commendable, but his impact was somewhat limited in other areas because the player was unable to hold the fort enough with Anthony Davis out. If the Lakers have to rely on Hayes more going forward, the player has to contribute a little more defensively.
Max Christie: C+
Stats: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 0 turnovers, 3-8 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 1-1 FT, 19 mins
Max Christie chipped in 8 points and had 3 assists in 19 minutes. While his shooting was decent (3-of-8), he didn’t make a strong impact beyond scoring. Christie was a steady role player but didn’t contribute heavily on defense or the boards, although he tried to get out to the Grizzlies three-point shooters more often than not.
D’Angelo Russell: C
Stats: 12 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 4-12 FG, 2-9 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 22 mins
Russell struggled with efficiency, scoring 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including just 2-of-9 from three. His shot selection was questionable at times, and his overall impact was muted. Russell’s playmaking and scoring were inconsistent, making it a rough night for him and quite frankly, he has not answered the call this season. His season averages sit at 12.0 points and 6.0 assists per game on only 30.8% from three, so he needs to get his production up to keep his Lakers job next season.
Dalton Knecht: C
Stats: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1-7 FG, 1-7 3-PT FG, 0-0 FT, 27 mins
Knecht had a tough shooting night in his first NBA start, scoring only 3 points on 1-of-7 from the field. However, he grabbed 4 rebounds and added 2 assists. Knecht’s inexperience showed, but he did contribute on the boards despite his offensive struggles. We won’t be too harsh on Knecht who needed to be on point for the Lakers who missed Davis and Hachimura, but he needs to be graded a C for failing to hit the mark tonight.
Christian Koloko: C
Stats: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 1 block, 1 foul, 0 turnovers, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3-PT FG, 0-0 FT, 13 mins
Koloko was quiet with 2 points and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes. He did register a block, showing some presence defensively, but his impact was limited overall. Koloko was efficient in his few attempts but wasn’t heavily involved in the game and his 13 minutes were quite forgettable tonight.
Gabe Vincent: C
Stats: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 2-8 FG, 1-6 3-PT FG, 1-2 FT, 23 mins
Vincent contributed 6 points but struggled again with efficiency, going 2-of-8 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep. His limited playmaking (1 assist) and turnovers didn’t help the Lakers’ offense. Vincent needs to find consistency with his shooting and decision-making because he is only shooting 18.8% from three this season with an average of only 2.9 points per game.
Bronny James: N/A
Stats: 2 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 foul, 0 turnovers, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 5 mins
Bronny played only 5 minutes, scoring 2 points from the free-throw line without making a field goal. His limited minutes make it difficult to give him a full evaluation, though he showed energy in his brief stint and it is always good for the fans to see him.
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