Don’t let the score fool you. The Lakers never had a shot in this one.
The Nuggets started the game on an 11-0 and never trailed. Anytime LA made a push, Denver responded and closed the door.
When Deandre Ayton played, he was bad, and when Lakers head coach JJ Redick went to players he hadn’t used in a while like Jarred Vanderbilt, it didn’t work.
Besides LeBron James, few Lakers can hold their heads high when looking back at how they played in this game.
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.
LeBron James
34 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 7-11 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10
From the beginning, LeBron was excellent in this game. He was pushing into the paint, attacking the basket, and was an active defensive participant.
His elbow injury in the fourth interrupted his play, but he gave the Lakers everything he had.
Grade: A
Luka Dončić
40 minutes, 27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 11-24 FG, 3-10 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0
Luka was offensively aggressive in this game and played at his typical level. It was good to see him taking some shots late, though Marcus Smart took a few that would’ve been nice to see Luka or LeBron attempt. Beyond that, though, he was adequate.
Grade: B
Marcus Smart
32 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-9 FG, 3-6 3PT, +3
On the one hand, Smart played hard and was one of the Lakers who showed up the entire game. On the other hand, the flopping was a bit much and the threes he missed in the final quarter sealed LA’s fate.
Still, other players underperformed and Smart was the only starter who was a positive in the plus-minus.
Grade: B-
Austin Reaves
38 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, -4
It was another slow start for Reaves. He had just four points at the half. Reaves improved in the third and fourth quarters, but this was still another game where he had underperformed. This has been a trend over the past seven games, and an end does not seem in sight.
Perhaps since LA plays Indiana next, he’ll look good in a low-stakes contest.
Grade: C
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Rui Hachimura
29 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-9 FG, 4-5 3PT, +10
Hachimura played well. He had some key threes that helped tilt things in LA’s favor, so it’s hard to be frustrated with what he provided.
Grade: B
Jaxson Hayes
27 minutes, 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 8-10 FG, 3-5 FT, +7
Hayes was fantastic in this game. He was a great screener, was flushing the ball down the hoop with ease and had his best performance of the season.
Grade: A+
Luke Kennard
20 minutes, 8 points, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, -7
Kennard did what he was supposed to in this game, and that’s knocking down threes, moving the ball and setting screens.
There’s not much more that can or should be asked of him.
Grade: B+
Jake LaRavia
10 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, -16
If LaRavia isn’t going to knock down his shots, continue to be passive when he’s open and get burnt on defense, then he can take a seat.
Grade: F
Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt,
This pair didn’t play long enough to earn a grade, and if they did, it wouldn’t be positive.
JJ Redick
If the Lakers weren’t ready to start this game, that’s going to fall on the coach. Ayton has been making a case to get benched and he hasn’t been. Before he exited the game with a knee injury, he was terrible. These games are tests for the Lakers and they failed.
Grade: D
Thursday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James
Thursday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr, Drew Timme,
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
