The Los Angeles Lakers ran into the NBA’s best defense on Wednesday night, and it showed. Facing an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is elite in almost every defensive metric, they forced 20 turnovers and forced the Lakers’ offense into major issues in a 112-92 loss.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ best players by far, struggled to find any rhythm against OKC’s dominant lineups. The supporting cast didn’t offer much either, as no Laker outside of Dalton Knecht reached 15 points. That simply won’t cut it for the Lakers against any top opponent.
Against an elite, well-prepared defense, Los Angeles couldn’t create high-quality looks or handle OKC’s energy and talent-level on the offensive end when it comes to moving the ball. After an ugly performance, let’s provide a grade for every Lakers player who hit the floor.
Luka Doncic: B-
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 7-20 FG, 1-7 3PT, 4-5 FT, 34 MIN
Superstar Luka Doncic was clearly frustrated by the Thunder’s constant double-teams and weak-side traps. He tried to carry the offense but forced tough shots and committed several turnovers that were probably unwarranted. His playmaking was there, but his decision-making faltered to OKC’s ball pressure. A gritty effort, but not an efficient one by any means. We give Luka the highest score (tied) because no other Laker seemed he was close to scoring against the Thunder’s elite defense.
Dalton Knecht: B-
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 6-7 FG, 4-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
The lone bright spot for Los Angeles when it comes to role players, Knecht was at least efficient. He shot with confidence and gave the offense a jolt whenever he was on the floor. His quick release and movement off the ball opened up the floor a little bit. Knecht wasn’t bad by any means but we can’t give him a higher score since he played signficant garbage minutes and he could add to his stats that way.
Austin Reaves: C+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4-12 FG, 2-6 3PT, 3-4 FT, 32 MIN
Austin Reaves entered the game in excellent form but couldn’t reach the same level he did previously. He struggled to create separation and was visibly sped up by Oklahoma City’s hounding defense on the perimeter. While he hit a few threes, and tried to overcome OKC’s tough play, his overall impact was limited, and he finished with more turnovers than assists. Not Reaves’ best night by any means.
Rui Hachimura: C+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 5-11 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, 28 MIN
Rui Hachimura provided scoring and physicality, but he couldn’t fix the game’s momentum once the Thunder captured it to blow the game open. His midrange touch was reliable, ybut t he needs to assert himself more on the glass and in defensive rotations. A solid, if unspectacular, outing from the Lakers’ third-best player in the offensive pecking order without LeBron.
Jarred Vanderbilt: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT, 24 MIN
Vanderbilt brought energy but not much else. His defense remained solid, but his limited scoring and three-point threat made him a non-factor once the Thunder gave him looks. This was an example of a high-motor night that didn’t move the needle at all, even if it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Deandre Ayton: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3-8 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 26 MIN
Deandre Ayton was passive on both ends, often outmuscled by Chet Holmgren and slow to react on defense. The Lakers need more from him in terms of interior presence and energy and his lack of physicality was a major factor in L.A.’s struggles tonight. Ayton is often criticized for these exact reasons but considering nobody else played particuarly well, he isn’t solely to blame.
Marcus Smart: C
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 3-9 FG, 1-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 29 MIN
Marcus Smart’s defense and intensity was there, but his decision-making offensively left plenty to be desired. He forced several ill-advised shots early and struggled to calm the Lakers players when the ball was in his hands. His effort on defense and hustle plays provided some stability, especially in spurts, but it wasn’t the former DPOY’s best performance.
Jaxson Hayes: C
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 2-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 14 MIN
Jaxson Hayes provided brief rim-running in 14 minutes, but it didn’t translate into any signficant production. He had a couple of easy buckets but was otherwise outplayed by OKC’s frontcourt. Off the bench, Hayes didn’t hit the mark.
Bronny James: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 9 MIN
Bronny had limited minutes in garbage time, not the best situation for the young player. Not enough action to fairly evaluate his impact and consideirng the scoreline, he probably should have got more minutes.
