Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday, breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Jake LaRavia.
While it wasn’t quite “Signing Timofey Mozgov minutes into free agency in 2016,” Jake LaRavia being the first call
for the Lakers this summer was certainly unexpected.It won’t take much for him to have a better career than Mozgov did with the Lakers and he won’t be under
nearly as bright a spotlight with a much smaller contract, but there will still be an eye on him this year. With Dorian Finney-Smith departing, LaRavia is one of the natural fits to replace him as a wing.
But is he ready for a bigger role on a contending team this season? It’s a bet the Lakers are making, even if it’s coming on a fairly low-risk contract.
What is his best-case scenario?
Given more minutes and a bigger role, LaRavia seizes his opportunity and is a great fit and ready-made replacement for DFS.
Offensively, his improved shooting last year is not a fluke as he’s an above-average 3-point shooter. However, his ability to do the other things, which DFS could not, like attack off the dribble and pass, is what sets him apart and improves the Lakers’ offense.
The defense will be a big question for him, but he’s able to pass with flying colors. What he likes in individual, one-on-one defense, he makes up for with his ability as a team defender. Given how the Lakers defended under head coach JJ Redick last season, that’s still a very valuable skill set and allows him and the Lakers to find success together.
While his role as a starter or reserve might eventually be up for debate, at worst, he gives the Lakers a dependable option off the bench each night, something they didn’t have in the postseason last year.
What is his worst-case scenario?
In short, the Lakers’ gamble doesn’t pay off. While the advanced stats for LaRavia are favorable, they fall victim to small sample size and he isn’t able to keep the same efficiency in an expanded role.
Last season’s improvement as a 3-point shooter was a flash in the pan as he tumbles back down to the roughly 34% he shot in his first two seasons. And while he can do some other things on offense, his inability to be a knockdown shooter mean teams force him to make shots and limit his effectiveness on that end.
On the other end, he’s exposed for his weaknesses as a defender. For as good a team defender as he may be, his inability to stay in front of opponents in space means there’s always an apparent weakness the Lakers have to overcome defensively.
While the Lakers don’t have much of a financial commitment to LaRavia, there were expectations of him being a contributor. His struggles, however, mean that Redick will struggle to trust him once the games really matter.
What is his most likely role on the team?
The Lakers clearly viewed LaRavia as a priority this summer. After having a lack of depth come playoff time last year, LaRavia can, at the very least, be a dependable player off the bench.
The degree to which he finds success, though, will be key. Is he simply another wing option that can eat minutes during the regular season but can’t be relied upon in the playoffs or will he give the team another option that they sorely lacked?
I tend to lean toward the latter. LaRavia is a smart player who hit shots last season. He makes sense for the Lakers and should fit nicely in Redick’s offense playing off LeBron James and Luka Dončić. It may not lead to a big statistical jump for him this season, but it’s easy to see why he makes sense as a fit in this team.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
