The Lakers didn’t play well, had multiple scoring droughts and trailed in the fourth on Tuesday. But in the end, Luka Dončić and LeBron James were too good for New Orleans to overcome.
Playing around with sub-.500 teams and playing just good enough to win isn’t a recipe for long-term success or culture building. However, this is how the 2025-26 Lakers play.
It’s ugly, frustrating, but often ends the same way with LA on top.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for
each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
LeBron James
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33 minutes, 30 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 10-19 FG, 3-5 3PT, 7-7 FT, +10
LeBron established his dominance immediately in this game. He scored LA’s first points on a two-handed jam and never looked back.
James was defensively engaged, had another lob in the first half and scored two early 3-pointers in the fourth to help the Lakers regain the lead in this contest.
Grade: A
Luka Dončić
37 minutes, 30 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers, 2 fouls, 11-22 FG, 3-10 3PT, 5-9 FT, +2
Luka, alongside LeBron, led the charge in this win. He shot well, going 11-22 from the field, and while he didn’t shoot well from deep, he hit a dagger in the fourth that sealed the game.
You’ve got to let Luka be Luka. If he can just keep the turnovers down, then LA will be just fine in 2026.
Grade: A
Jake LaRavia
35 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 fouls, 2-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 0
This was a rough night for LaRavia. He still hustled on defense, but his offense was awful. He didn’t look for his shot and when he did take a crack at the rim, the results were mixed. Overall, LaRavia has been great with key players out, but tonight wasn’t his night.
Grade: D
Deandre Ayton
32 minutes, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 9-16 FG, +13
Ayton was aggressive in the paint and helped bail out the offense when the team struggled to score. Add in his rebounding and rim protection and he’s bounced back nicely here in January after a rough slate of games.
Grade: A
Marcus Smart
37 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-10 FG, 3-7 3PT, +14
Smart too often calls his own number. In this game, it seemed that whenever he took a shot, it was the wrong decision, and when he decided to pass, he should’ve shot.
The best stretch for Smart was in the third when he made a pair of threes to keep them within single digits when the Pelicans were trying to pull away.
Still, this game was a mixed bag for him, and it seems that if Smart plays for an extended period of time, you have to accept the good with the bad.
Grade: C-
Jarred Vanderbilt
29 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 fouls, 3-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT, +3
Vanderbilt was a disruptor in this contest. He hustled hard on both ends of the floor, earned a pair of steals and wasn’t a negative offensively.
As long as he continues to do that, he should remain in the lineup.
Grade: B
Dalton Knecht
11 minutes, 6 points, 2 fouls, 2-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, +5
Knecht had a nice three and a clutch charge that he took in this game, but that was about it. He also appeared to have blown coverages a couple of times, so yeah, I don’t think he’ll be playing at all once players come back.
Grade: C-
Nick Smith Jr.
10 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, -2
When Smith Jr. is giving you nothing offensively, he shouldn’t be on the floor. This game is a prime example.
Grade: F
Jaxson Hayes
16 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 0-1 FT, –5
Hayes didn’t give the Lakers much out there. He played to provide Ayton with some rest, and that was about it.
Grade: D-
JJ Redick
How much is Redick responsible for getting his team to play a full 48 minutes? It seems the Lakers never do it when they play these weaker teams. Overall, though, Redick did a good job of utilizing his challenges and playing the right players. I would’ve liked less Smith Jr. and Knecht, but there aren’t many other options right now.
Grade: B–
Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Bronny James
Tuesday’s inactives: Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Adou Theiro, Gabe Vincent, Drew Timme
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
