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The Lakers are known for their star power and championships. This season, though, they’ve been more grit and grind than glamor and glitz.
LA has had to play the entire season without LeBron James while Luka Dončić has missed half of the team’s games. Despite that, the Lakers have a 6-2 record. The main reason for that is that the rest of the roster has stepped up in unexpected ways.
Multiple players are off to great starts and have had career nights during these first few games. So, for our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we ask which player has surprised you the most so far.
There are so many great candidates to choose from for the most surprising Lakers so far.
Austin Reaves has a very strong case. He is somehow averaging career numbers once again in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals. What’s unbelievable about Reaves’ career progression is that he’s set career bests in all four of these categories every single year.
This season, with his star running mates constantly out, he’s taken charge in ways he never has before. Reaves had a 51-point performance against the Kings and a game-winner over the Wolves. Factor in Reaves averaging 31.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists and even his biggest supporters have to be shocked with what he is doing.
Deandre Ayton is another Laker who is off to a stellar start. So far, he’s been a perfect fit in Los Angeles. He’s a defensive upgrade from Jaxson Hayes and is quickly building chemistry with Reaves and Luka in the pick and roll.
Ayton is averaging 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and there have been no indications of a lack of focus or desire to play well. This has often been a complaint about Ayton at his previous stops in Phoenix and Portland. Currently, he’s been everything the Lakers have asked of him and more and that’s huge for this team.
Jake LaRavia is such an under-the-radar player that Wolves fans were asking out loud who he was while he dropped 27 points against Minnesota. After a 25-point game against the Heat, he is quickly letting everyone know about his game.
LaRavia has started this season averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 44% from 3-point range and is certainly a pleasant surprise. Given how much better he’s been for the Lakers compared to his previous stops with the Grizzlies and the Kings, he might be the biggest surprise so far.
Last, but certainly not least, is Marcus Smart. As the defensive specialist, he’s been even better than advertised. He’s had some energy shifting blocks, is constantly diving for loose balls and bringing a level of toughness this franchise hasn’t had since 2020.
The Lakers are undefeated when Smart starts and having a plus-minus of +66 is not just the best on the team, it’s the fifth best in the NBA. Smart was expected to be a solid addition to the Lakers, but not this good and certainly not immediately.
Thanks to this quartet of Lakers players performing this well, LA has the third-best record in the Western Conference. Once the other players come back, we’ll see how much better they can be.
For now, though, which Laker has surprised you the most? What player is playing far beyond the expectations you had entering the year? Let us know by participating in the poll.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
