Once the news that LeBron James would be sidelined for the opening weeks of the season came out, the belief was that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves would have to carry the team as far as they could.
With that in mind, to see the Lakers win by double digits in a game where Luka (1-11) and Reaves (4-14) combined to miss 20 3-pointers and 26 total shots is about the best-case scenario one could imagine. LA did not have to rely on their stars to get the win as a host of role players picked up the slack
and helped the Lakers earn a third-straight win.
It was an encouraging performance for a whole host of reasons, which we’ll dive into!
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.
Luka Dončić
38 minutes, 29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, 1 foul, 9-22 FG, 1-11 3PT, 10-12 FT, +14
It’s an incredibly high bar, but this was safely Luka’s worst game of the season…in which he finished with nearly a 30-point triple-double. He was never really dialed in from range with 10 of his 13 misses coming from beyond the arc.
And still, I didn’t think it was a particularly bad game from him either. He wasn’t great, but he was still good.
Grade: B
Austin Reaves
38 minutes, 26 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 9-22 FG, 4-14 3PT, 4-5 FT, +7
Similarly, Austin also had struggles in this one. He, too, missed 10 3-pointers. Catch-and-shoot 3-pointers are going to be key for him alongside Luka. Not counting tonight, he’s 7-22 on those long-range looks. It’s definitely an aspect of his game that needs improvement after the opening weeks.
Grade: B
Jaxson Hayes
32 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 7-7 FG, 1-1 3PT, +17
This is probably the best-case scenario for Hayes. He’s established himself as a viable back-up who can step into the starting lineup when needed during the regular season. He has good chemistry with Luka and Reaves, which was clear on Sunday, too.
Grade: A
Rui Hachimura
31 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-12 FG, 3-5 3PT, +7
There seems to be a desire early this season for Rui to step up and finally have a big game. But the numbers don’t really back that up. Including Sunday, he still hasn’t shot below 50% in a game this season. He is averaging 15.3 points on the year on 58/45/75 shooting splits.
What he might lack in volume he has definitely made up for in efficiency. And an efficient, even if it’s not this efficient, version of Rui that is averaging 15 points per game is plenty good enough.
Grade: B+
Marcus Smart
27 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 fouls, 4-9 FG, 3-7 3PT, +11
As a somewhat skeptic of the Smart signing, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and him to have a bad game and, well, it’s not happening! Smart has been awesome this year and is making such a big impact on both sides of the ball. There’s really no other way to put it and he’s been a huge plus for the Lakers.
Grade: A
Jake LaRavia
34 minutes, 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 10-13 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT, +8
I think people are learning who No. 12 is.
LaRavia is such a smart player and when he plays alongside guys like Austin and Luka, he shines. His ability to read a defense and cut into open spaces or relocate around the 3-point line is accentuated by having high-IQ players around to find him.
And then he’s just playing at a high level. He’s knocking down 3-pointers, finishing with dunks at the rim and being a great defender. He’s been everything the Lakers could have hoped he’d be in recent games.
Grade: A+
Bronny James
18 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 fouls, 1-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, +1
This was safely and without a doubt the best game of Bronny’s career. He might have had games with more points or better statistical output, but he was playing big fourth quarter minutes in a real game and had real contributions.
He made a big play in the fourth, finding Smart open for a 3-pointer. He was making plays defensively, coming away with a trio of steals. After basically a worst-case scenario start to the year, this was a very refreshing game to see him have a strong showing.
Grade: A-
Dalton Knecht
12 minutes, 3 points, 2 fouls, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, -6
One of the players to see his minutes dip because of Bronny’s night was Dalton. It was a fairly mundane outing. Nothing much to write home about.
Grade: C
Jarred Vanderbilt
10 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 1-2 FG, 2-2 FT, -9
On paper, this felt like a game Vando could have really had success in. The Heat’s style of play fit into Vando’s skill set. However, a trio of fouls in the first half — including a really bad one on a 3-pointer — and LaRavia’s big night meant Vando barely reached 10 minutes.
Grade: C+
JJ Redick
JJ rode the hot hand of some guys on Sunday, particularly with Bronny, which was the right call. He also had the team well-prepared for Miami’s offense. The only real complaint was that he used his challenge on a pretty bad play, but it didn’t come back to haunt them.
Grade: B
Monday’s DNPs: Nick Smith Jr., Christian Koloko, Chris Mañon
Monday’s inactives: Adou Thiero, Gabe Vincent, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton, Maxi Kleber
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
