Even with Monday’s loss to the Pistons, the Lakers are rolling as the season races down the home stretch.
In congruence with the postseason nearing, the rotation for the purple and gold is shrinking. Head coach JJ Redick has picked the nine players he can rely upon the most and only injury has altered things in recent weeks.
While those nine players, and specifically the four off the bench, have gained Redick’s trust, where do they stand with Lakers fans? Let’s dive in.
Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin
Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton
Rui Hachimura
While Rui’s raw numbers have dropped over the last two weeks, his efficiency certainly has not. Over the last six games, he’s averaging 7.3 points, but doing it on 55.9% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from range.
Luke Kennard
The star of the week off the bench, Kennard had one of the biggest shots of the win streak with his game-winner in Orlando.
As great as that shot and moment was, it cast a shadow over his recent struggles. In his last seven games, Kennard is shooting 37% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.
Hopefully, that shot kickstarts him once again before the playoffs arrive.
Jaxson Hayes
On the flip side, Hayes is heading toward the postseason playing well, not too dissimilar from last season.
Defensively, he’s stepped up and is averaging 1.7 blocks per game over his last six outings. The rebounds are still lower than you’d want at 3.7 per contest, but the high energy level has been noticeable.
Jake LaRavia
LaRavia has the loosest grip on his spot in the rotation of any of the four players. He has offered little offensively, hitting just 33.3% of his threes in the last seven games.
The reason he’s staying in the rotation has been his overall effort level, which shows up in his rebounding and activity on the defensive side of the ball.
But if that dips, then minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber or even someone like Adou Thiero could come in the final weeks.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
