The Los Angeles Lakers’ season came to an end two weeks ago. They entered the postseason shorthanded, but the team stepped up to make it further than anyone expected without Luka Doncic and, for part of the run, Austin Reaves.
Here’s how every Los Angeles Lakers rotation player performed this postseason.
LeBron James: A
LeBron James continues to amaze at age 41. When Doncic and Reaves went down, James took it upon himself to keep the Lakers afloat.
What makes his postseason even more impressive is that he spent the entire season adjusting to a role he had never played in his 23-year career. Then all of a sudden, he had to abandon that role and be the player he’s always been.
He didn’t disappoint. His 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game both led the team.
Austin Reaves: C
Reaves had a inconsistent postseason, and understandably so. He didn’t return from injury until Game 5 of the first round, and thus, never really found his stride.
His highs included a 31-point Game 2 on 62% shooting and a 27-point Game 4 on 50% shooting against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But his lows included an 8-point Game 1 in OKC, where he shot 16.8% from the field.
Reaves averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 turnovers per game while shooting 40% from the field and 25.7% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers desperately needed consistency from Reaves in Doncic’s absence. He didn’t deliver.
Rui Hachimura: A+
Rui Hachimura was a star in his role.
He led the team in minutes but ranked fifth among rotation players in usage rate. When the Lakers did get Rui a good look, he was extremely productive and efficient.
Hachimura averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 56.9% from 3-point range. There was not a single game where he scored in single digits or shot below 50% from deep this postseason, and he currently still holds the all-time NBA record for playoff three-point shooting percentage.
His elite shooting was key to the Lakers’ run.
Marcus Smart: C+
When Marcus Smart is on your team, you have to live with the good and bad that come with the former Defensive Player of the Year.
On one hand, he was the head of the defensive snake that held two-time MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander to 24.5 points per game, his lowest scoring average in a playoff series since the 2019-20 season.
On the other hand, he shot 39% from the field and averaged 3.5 turnovers per game.
The Lakers needed Smart’s defensive prowess, so they endured his offensive limitations.
Luke Kennard: B+
Luke Kennard opened the postseason with the best playoff game of his career.
He torched the Houston Rockets for 27 points while shooting 5-for-5 from three. Then, game by game, he slowly reverted to the low usage, high efficiency three-point specialist he’s always been.
Even with his 27-point explosion in Game 1, he averaged only 12.5 points per game in the first round. He averaged 10 points per game in the second round.
His 11.5 points per game and 47.4% shooting from behind the arc were exactly what the Lakers wanted from their resident sharpshooter.
Deandre Ayton: C
Deandre Ayton started the playoffs with a solid series against the Rockets, but eventually he disappeared.
He averaged 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 60.4% from the field in the first round.
Then, he averaged 7.3 point and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field in the second round. In Games 3 and 4, he grabbed a total of three defensive rebounds.
Being outplayed by a deeper and more physical frontcourt is understandable. Failing to give effort isn’t.
Ayton shrank as the competition and pressure rose.
Jaxson Hayes: B
Jaxson Hayes was an energizer off the bench.
When Ayton was benched in the do-or-die Game 4 against OKC, Hayes stepped up. He scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in 27 minutes.
His 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game don’t jump off the stat sheet, but the team fed off of his electrifying dunks and hustle plays all postseason.
Jake LaRavia: F
Jake LaRavia played himself out of the rotation.
He averaged 1.1 made shots and 1.4 turnovers in 14.2 minutes per game.
Ultimately, LaRavia was unproductive in his eight games.
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