It’s been a long, long time since the Lakers have had a defense like the one they appear to have this season. With the caveat of it just being the second game of the season, the 26 turnovers forced against the Clippers were more than they forced in any game last season.
Pair that with the 16 turnovers forced against the Warriors in the first game — nine of those coming in the third quarter — and the Lakers have a defense that can swarm teams and create chaos. That’s not been a quality of the Lakers’
defense in recent seasons, or for a long time, really.
It lets them not only disrupt the opponent’s offense but also get easy buckets. They scored 33 points on those 26 turnovers and took more shots in the first three quarters, even while shooting 61% from the field. If it’s a trend that continues, these Lakers will be able to get out and run and be a particularly fun team this season.
And for those wondering, yes, I did completely forget about these articles throughout the preseason and opening game of the year. But we’re back and you can yell at me all you want now.
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.
Matisse Thybulle
23 minutes, 13 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-8 FG, 3-6 3PT, +13
Thybulle showed off a no-dip 3-pointer in the preseason and apparently fell in love with it because I’m not sure he dipped on any of his six 3-point attempts tonight.
Grade: B+
Ziaire Williams
30 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 fouls, 5-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-3 FT +9
It was a great showing on both ends from Williams. He gives the Lakers as athletic a wing as they’ve had in years. His ability to hound players defensively also is something the team hasn’t had from someone that size in a long time either.
Grade: A-
Walker Kessler
34 minutes, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 6 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 10-14 FG, 2-5 FT +18
A truly awful performance from Kessler as he only shoots 71.4% from the field and not a perfect 100%.
Jokes aside, he’s truly revolutionized this offense. It’s immediately clear why the team wanted him and, even then, he’s been in the 100th percentile of outcomes through two games. What a start to his Lakers career.
Grade: A
Austin Reaves
38 minutes, 28 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 4 fouls, 10-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, 5-6 FT, +14
A big second half from Reaves not only helped the Lakers create some cushion after being tied at halftime, but also was necessary with Luka struggling. Nearly half of his points came in that third quarter where LA went ahead by as many as 14. Then it was Austin who got the big basket late to calm things down late in the game.
Grade: A-
Luka Dončić
37 minutes, 23 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 11 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-21 FG, 2-8 3PT, 5-7 FT, +10
A bit of a deceptive scoreline from Luka as he never really had his rhythm in this one. He started the game 2-10 from the field and didn’t have Yaxel Lendeborg to fire him up. Then, in the fourth, he turned the ball over four times and while they weren’t all his fault, he was at the center of the Clippers comeback, and not in a good way.
Grade: C+
Quentin Grimes
30 minutes, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, +2
It’ll be interesting to see how much longer Grimes will stay out of the starting lineup. Perhaps head coach JJ Redick is committed to the starting lineup, which is fine so far. But Grimes did close the game on Friday, so he has a lot of trust, too.
Grade: B+
Sandro Mamukelashvili
23 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 3-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, -8
Mamu has taken a step back in the regular season after riding a high through the preseason. It’s still early, so there’s nothing to worry about yet.
On Friday, though, his defensive shortcomings were noticeable. The Lakers played him at the five and the Clippers spread the floor out and drove by him multiple times.
Grade: B-
Collin Sexton
16 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls 2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, -9
Sexton’s long-awaited debut was a mixed bag at best. Predictably, he looked rusty and like someone who missed the whole preseason. He had flashes of what could come, including a nice drive and drop-off to Kessler for a dunk.
Grade: C-
Kevon Looney
He only played four minutes, but it’s pretty clear that he’ll be unplayable most nights. Redick didn’t have him play a shift in the second half, opting for a Mamu-at-center lineup instead.
JJ Redick
A solid game from Redick, who did a good job of finding the right combinations. He quickly pulled out of playing Looney and went to Grimes to close after a solid game.
Grade: B+
Friday’s DNPs: Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, AK Okereke, Jarred Vanderbilt
Friday’s inactives: Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia, Chris Mañon
