The 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers By Category

Times have been rough in Los Angeles since the Lakers won their last NBA championship in 2020. They have battled injuries to their biggest stars, coaching changes, and problems with rotations on the court due to the addition of Russell Westbrook and a lack of depth across the board. There have been bright spots for the organization, such as the elite play of LeBron James as he conquers his late 30s and Anthony Davis’s return to a high level of play before an injury derailed his winter. The team is currently 16-21 in 2022-23 and in 12th place, just 2 games back from making the play-in tournament.

Today, we will come to this Los Angeles team to figure out which players are best at different categories on the court. From defense to scoring to shooting the ball from beyond the arc, the Lakers are filled with talent that, unfortunately, hasn’t been able to put it together correctly for the past 3 seasons. Regardless, the Lakers are one of the most recognizable teams and brands in all of sports, so whether they are doing well or struggling, the team is as relevant as the No. 1 seed in either conference.

This is the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers by category.

Scoring – LeBron James

Recently, LeBron James celebrated his birthday with a 47-point near triple-double at the age of 38. With an injury to Anthony Davis, James has taken on the offensive load as far as scoring goes and answered the challenge valiantly. James is currently the Lakers leader in scoring with 28.5 PPG thru 28 games played so far in the 2022-23 season. He is shooting 50.6% from the field overall and just 30.9% from three on 6.8 attempts per game.

When we break down LeBron James’ scoring this season, what we are seeing is truly remarkable. James’ 47-point outburst on his birthday is the only 40-point performance of the season for the soon-to-be NBA scoring leader. He has 12 30-point games on the season, as well as 13 20-point games and just 2 games with less than 20 points, scored. James ranks 7th in the NBA in PPG and is one of 12 players with at least 27.0 PPG on the year. Did I mention that he was 38?

Playmaking – LeBron James

It is no secret that LeBron James is one of the game’s best playmakers in history. James has shown over the course of the last 20 years that there is no situation too demanding for him to make a play, whether that be for himself or for his teammates, especially when the game is on the line. A big part of playmaking is creating easy opportunities for your teammates, whether that be a cut to the basket or an easy shot from beyond the arc.

James currently ranks 2nd on the Lakers in assists with 6.6 APG, 1.2 APG behind their leader Russell Westbrook. James is turning the ball over less than Westbrook but is still one of two players on the team with more than 3.0 turnovers per game. These things are bound to happen when you control the ball for the majority of the time. James has done everything he can to keep the Lakers afloat this year with his scoring and playmaking, yet they still sit at 13-21 on the season so far. James is far and away the Laker’s best playmaker in 2022-23.

Rebounding – Anthony Davis

The saga of Anthony Davis in Los Angeles continues in 2022-23 as he is yet again nursing an injury that will have kept him out over a month of the young 2022-23 season. Davis has struggled to stay on the court over the course of the last 2 and a half seasons with the Lakers after helping them to a championship in 2020. One part of Davis’s game that has never stopped leading the Lakers is his ability to grab rebounds over anybody on the court.

In 2022-23, Davis is once again the clear rebounding leader for the Lakers at 12.1 RPG. His 12.1 RPG would rank 2nd in the NBA if he played enough games to qualify for the league leaders list. This is nothing new for Davis, who, over the last 4 seasons in Los Angeles, has averaged 9.6 RPG over that span. The Lakers are among one of the worst teams in the NBA in rebounding with Davis off the court but skyrocket to one of the best when he is on it.

Defense – Anthony Davis

It is truly hard to pick out a star for the Los Angeles Lakers on defense when you consider 21st in the NBA in defensive rating. They have struggled mightily to guard the perimeter as well as when they help on drives into the lane. Their only bright spot had been Anthony Davis, seemingly on his way back to his peak as a defender so far in 2022-23, which flatlined once he went down with an injury in early December.

Davis is both the Lakers leader in steals with 1.3 SPG and blocks with 2.1 BPG. He was matching up with the NBA’s elite bigs like Giannis Antetokounmmpo and Nikola Jokic while frustrating them to some of their worst offensive nights in 2022-23. Davis’ presence in the paint was reminiscent of his days in New Orleans, giving the Lakers hope for a better middle portion of their season. The team hopes to have him back in January but will that be enough to save this disastrous defense from inevitable doom?

3-Point Shooting – Lonnie Walker

The struggles from beyond the arc for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 have been well-documented and covered ad nauseam. As a team, they are shooting an abysmal 33.8% from three this season. Just 2 players are taking more than 4.0 attempts from beyond the arc for the Lakers in 2022-23, one of them being LeBron James, who is hitting on 30.9% of his team-leading 6.8 attempts.

The other star, and a bright spot for them shooting-wise, is Lonnie Walker IV. Walker is attempting 5.4 3-pointers per game in 32 starts for the Lakers and connecting on 38.4% of his shots. Of any player for the Lakers this season attempting 3.0 or more shots from deep, Walker leads them all in efficiency. Walker is tied with LeBron James for the most 3-pointers made per game on the Lakers this year but attempting 1.4 fewer shots from that range per game. If there is a player on the Lakers that you want to take a three when it is needed most, Lonnie Walker IV is the guy that needs to take that shot.

Finishing – LeBron James

One of the things that have made LeBron James stand out as an all-time great is his ability to finish at the rim. We aren’t just talking about the ferocious and flashy dunks he has thrown down in his career, but the soft touch he has displayed on layups and short shots as well. Sure, James has been able to show flashes of his old self on breakaway baskets this season with powerful slams that flash us back to his Heat days, but that isn’t all finishing is about.

LeBron is taking 30.5% of his shots from 0-3 feet from the basket showing that he is still in attack mode when he needs and wants to be. Of those 30.5% attempts, James is finishing on 80.4% of them. That percentage ranks 5th on his team behind guys who aren’t nearly seeing the same amount of volume at the basket. Even in Year 20, LeBron can still attack and finish at the rim among the best stars in basketball.

Athleticism – LeBron James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rReuZLlYYQ

It is hard to believe that a 38-year-old man is the most athletic player on his team but here we are. LeBron James continues to defy the laws of science and beat up Father Time with every passing game in the 2022-23 season. James still has bounce in outbursts during games, especially in moments where he finds himself with a little bit of space. He can still leap and keep up with the young stars in the game, even if they weren’t even born when James entered the league 20 years ago.

It has been miraculous to watch. Never have we seen a player keep in this kind of shape for this long in NBA history. What LeBron is doing at 38 years old is redefining everything we thought we knew about the human body. Usually, by this time in a player’s career, we are singing their swan song and getting ready to see them ride off into the sunset after a wonderful career. With James, there is a good possibility he will play until he is 45 years old.

Clutch – LeBron James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOqRuyFEfE

For most of his career, LeBron James has been one of the most clutch players in basketball. Clutch time in an NBA game is defined as a game where the score has a difference of 5 points or less with less than 5 minutes left in the game. For the Lakers, they have just 4 players who have averaged over 2.0 PPG in clutch citations. Their leader is, once again, LeBron James at 3.0 PPG in the clutch.

The Lakers’ clutch situations have been few and far between this year, among blowout losses and blown leads led by big runs from opposing teams. James is attempting just 2.6 shots during clutch time and knocking them down at 50.0%. From three, however, James is shooting just 25.0% in clutch situations but is not even attempting 1.0 3-pointers in those games. LeBron should and will have the ball in his hands when the game matters most for the Lakers as their only true viable scoring threat on a consistent basis.

Efficiency – Anthony Davis

Many people tend to think that efficiency is directly related to solely how well a player shoots the ball. That is only part of it, as turnovers and possessions leading to points, as well as PER, are taken into account as well. For the Lakers, efficiency hasn’t been a positive topic of conversation the last two seasons, as their most efficient players have been sidelines for the majority of it. That is the case once again in 2022-23, as Anthony Davis has proven to be the Lakers leader in this category.

According to Hollinger, Anthony Davis is not only the Lakers leader in PER by far, but he also has the 3rd highest PER in the NBA this season with a 31.79 PER. That trails only Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, who have a 32.93 and 32.60 PER, respectively. Davis is shooting the ball with a 66.2% true shooting percentage which is second on the team to Wenyen Gabriel, and has committed just 1.9 turnovers per game.

Leadership – LeBron James

How does one find a true leader on a team that sits 6 games under .500? Well, the search has to start with their best player, who has been LeBron James, so far in 2022-23. Leadership is not an easy thing to measure, especially for a team that has underperformed tremendously and is under the command of a first-time NBA head coach. The only choice here has to be LeBron James, who has shouldered the burdens that have come with the Lakers’ struggles.

James and the Lakers have been the butt of jokes for 2 seasons now, missing the playoffs in 2022 and off to an awful start in 2023. Still, LeBron has taken the court knowing he will receive the brunt of the criticism and blame when they lose, yet very little credit when they win. Knowing that his game and his team’s result will be scrutinized every night, James has never backed down from taking the reins of the Lakers and doing his very best to elevate them to victory. If that isn’t leadership, then I do not know what is.

Versatility – LeBron James

There have been very few players in NBA history who are versatile enough to play all 5 positions at an elite level. For LeBron James, playing most, if not all, of the positions on the court has come as a second nature during his time with the Lakers. There are times on defense when James has been criticized for his effort, but he has also stepped up in big moments as well. Often, he will take on the opposing team’s bigs in the paint but also step out to challenge their wings and guards.

On offense, we already know that he can do everything you ask of him. James can be the point guard running the offense, or he can be the power forward/center who works the paint. His natural position is at small forward, and he can’t take over the game from there or shooting guard whenever asked to. As far as versatility goes, the Lakers only have one man who completely embodies the word, and that is LeBron James.

Handles – Russell Westbrook

Another category that the Lakers are sparse in having a true leader in ball handling. Of course, LeBron James could be the choice here because of how often he handles the ball and runs the offense. The other selection is Russell Westbrook, who, contrary to popular belief, has been the best ball handler on the team. Westbrook is criticized consistently for his fast-paced play and sometimes erratic control but has been so much better since moving to the bench.

Westbrook looks to be back to his playmaking and scoring ways off the bench, albeit not to the levels he was as an MVP but still respectable. He is still turning the ball over far too often, as the Lakers would hope but is also the team’s leading assist man. Regardless of the choice you make here, the Lakers only have Westbrook and LeBron to choose from as ball handlers. Westbrook seems like the choice to make at this point in the 2022-23 season.

Underrated – Lonnie Walker

There are a few selections that could be made for the Lakers’ most underrated player. Austin Reaves and Thomas Bryant are both enjoying solid seasons despite the lack of overall team success in 2022-23. Right now, the only choice for the most underrated player in Los Angeles has to be Lonnie Walker. After 4 seasons with the Spurs, Walker came over to the Lakers in a sneakily good signing in free agency this offseason.

Walker has missed just 4 games in 2022-23 and started the other 32 at the shooting guard position. He has become the Lakers’ 3rd-leading scorer so far this year with 14.7 PPG, which also happens to be a career-high for the young star. Walker has also been the team’s most consistent 3-point shooter, which is something the Lakers have not faired well within 2022-23. Walker has been great for the Lakers in 2022-23 but is flying under the radar due to the attention drawn to the Big 3 of LeBron, Davis, and Westbrook, as well as their failures.

Overrated – Patrick Beverley

I cannot think of a move that was more hyped up by fans and media members alike than when the Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley from the Jazz this past offseason. Beverley was seen as a perfect solution to the Lakers’ perimeter defensive struggles as well as a welcomed addition to improve their shooting issues. The Lakers did not seem to care about the past issues with him and Russell Westbrook, inserting Beverley into the rotation immediately upon arrival.

The results have been anything but glorious and haven’t nearly lived up to expectations. Despite his boisterous antics, Beverley’s defensive efforts have been less than impactful and have provided little firepower on offense. He is currently averaging 6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 0.9 SPG. He is shooting 32.7% from three and just 39.2% from the field overall. It is safe to say that the experiment with Beverley hasn’t worked out in the Lakers’ favor, and he could soon be a casualty at the upcoming trade deadline.

Overall – LeBron James

In case it hasn’t been made clear by now, the best overall player for the Lakers this season has been LeBron James. Turning 38 years old hasn’t meant a thing to James’ game in 2022-23, as he is still playing and competing at a high level. The results as a team haven’t been there for the Lakers, and things don’t look so great moving forward. If there is any consolation, it is that James is still able to produce in any way he wishes.

James is leading the Lakers in scoring with 28.5 PPG and doing his very best to keep things interesting while Anthony Davis recovered from injury. James has also added 8.1 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.0 SPG to his numbers for the 2022-23 season. He is shooting above 50.0% from the floor overall despite his low 30.9% conversion rate from beyond the arc. Where the Lakers go is hard to say at this point, but for now, it is as far as LeBron James will take them.

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