Alex Len’s Los Angeles Lakers debut was met with a measured response from head coach JJ Redick, who acknowledged the challenges the veteran center faced stepping into a difficult situation. Len played 21 minutes off the bench, recording four points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one block on 2-5 shooting.
While his stat line was serviceable, his impact on the game was minimal, finishing with a -9 plus-minus as the Lakers struggled to control the paint. Redick was blunt in his assessment of Len’s first outing in the post-game press conference:
“I thought he was fine. Again, it just feels like it’s been a lot of that this year. We’ve had to put guys in tough spots, we’ve had to put our two-way guys in tough spots, we’ve had to put Alex in a tough spot. You know, he was fine.”
Len had just recently joined the team and had only a few days to get acclimated before being thrust into action. With Jaxson Hayes going down during the game, the Lakers were forced to lean on Len for extended minutes.
But, his presence in the middle wasn’t enough to prevent Utah’s dominant performance inside. The Jazz outscored the Lakers 54-36 in the paint, with Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen imposing their will in the interior. Kessler was particularly dominant, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, and six blocks on 8-8 shooting.
The Lakers’ defensive issues weren’t solely on Len, as they were also without key defensive players Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith, which impacted their overall toughness on that end of the floor. Without those pieces, the team lacked the defensive fitness that had fueled their success in recent weeks. The loss highlighted a major concern for Los Angeles—their vulnerability in the frontcourt without a reliable interior presence to complement their stars.
After trading Anthony Davis, the Lakers had hoped to shore up their center position by acquiring Mark Williams, but the trade was rescinded, leaving them scrambling for solutions. Len, signed as a stopgap, is not expected to be a long-term answer, and his debut only reinforced the notion that Los Angeles still needs to address its frontcourt depth.
Beyond Len’s performance, the Lakers struggled in other key areas. They shot just 56.7% from the free-throw line (17-30), with Luka Doncic going 1-5. The missed opportunities at the line, combined with their struggles to contain Utah’s bigs, made it a frustrating night for Los Angeles.
Despite the loss, Redick emphasized that the team is still adjusting. With the All-Star break approaching, the Lakers will have time to reassess their roster and determine how to maximize their personnel moving forward. Whether Len remains a key part of their rotation remains to be seen, but his debut underscored the significant challenges the Lakers face in solidifying their interior presence for the remainder of the season.
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