Bad news first.
The Lakers gave up a 15-point lead and lost to the Suns 113-104 in preseason play. To lose when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves combined for 50 points and the Suns played none of their rotation
guys since they just returned from China is not good.
However, the Lakers didn’t play their main guys either in that second half when the Suns went on that run. They were also shorthanded with four rotation players sitting out
, too.It’s preseason after all and all that matters is that the main guys played well and no one got hurt.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
Luka Dončić
22 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-15 FG, 4-8 3PT, 7-9 FT, +11
Luka was the best player on the floor in this game. He scored 25 points, did so efficiently and had some mesmerizing passes. This might’ve been the first preseason game he’s played, but he was in midseason form.
The only constructive criticism I have is to keep the turnovers down. He had five, which was a game-high.
Grade: A+
Austin Reaves
31 minutes, 25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8-16 FG, 2-6 3PT, 7-9 FT, -4
Reaves was just as great as Luka on Tuesday night. He also scored 25 points, drew some fouls and made his attempts at the charity stripe along with some nice assists.
The duo of Reaves and Dončić won’t always score a combined 50 points, but they are certainly capable of doing it. If they keep this up when the games count, they’ll be able to survive even with LeBron out. And once he returns, the trio will be a problem, even if some people don’t think so.
Grade: A+
Marcus Smart
20 minutes, 1 assist, -2
Smart was just out there getting cardio. The impact he made is purely theoretical and he was nowhere near the defensive stopper to justify giving you absolutely nothing in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Stats aren’t everything, but still.
Hopefully, this is just him easing into things. If not, some “Lakers should start Smart over Hachimura” tweets will be bookmarked.
Not that I’ve done that or anything.
Grade: D-
Deandre Ayton
26 minutes, 10 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 4-9 FG, 2-2 FT, +3
Ayton has had a strong preseason so far. He is scoring well, grabbing rebounds and protecting the rim. He hasn’t played out of this world, but he’s doing a good to great job consistently.
Grade: B+
Jake LaRavia
34 minutes, 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-4 FT, +6
LaRavia played a ton in this game. The effort is there, but the shots needs to fall and I’m skeptical of him being abe to dribble and drive to the rim consistently enough to earn more playing time.
Grade: C
Dalton Knecht
19 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block, 2-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-1 FT, -11
Knecht wasn’t an offensive force against the Suns. He was also rough on defense and couldn’t get to the line. It’s been rough for him ever since February.
Grade: C-
Bronny James
22 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, -24
Bronny had some nice on-ball defensive moments and a few good finishes near the rim. He still hasn’t shown enough to crack the rotation, but this was one of his better games he’s had this preseason.
Grade: C-
Christian Koloko
22 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3-5 FG, 0-1 3PT, -12
The numbers look good, but Koloko didn’t have a great game. There was lots of sloppiness on offense along with defensive miscues that led to the Suns going on a run and closing this game out. He had a plus-minus of -12, which was the second worst on the team. That’s not a coincidence.
Grade: D+
Nick Smith Jr.
15 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, +2
Smith Jr. sure likes to call his own number and play iso ball. It didn’t really work and it’s not what the Lakers need. He’s going to have to figure out what role he can have in the NBA if he wants to stay in the league.
Grade: D
RJ Davis
10 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT –6
Davis got some run late when the Lakers got destroyed. This film was not kind to him.
Grade: D
Nate Williams
10 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3-6 FG, 1-4 3PT, –5
Williams showed some aggression and helped give the Lakers a fighting chance in the final period. He was one of the few Lakers who could score in the fourth and he did a solid job of that.
Grade: B
JJ Redick
It’s preseason, so Redick did okay given the situation. He had the team playing well in the first half and things got away from them as lineups got wonky. It’s hard to blame him for the result.
Grade: B
Tuesday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, LeBron James, Adou Thiero, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Chris Mañon, Augustas Marčiulionis
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
