In context, this was an understandable loss for the Lakers. During a difficult part of the schedule with significant injuries, it was no surprise to see the Lakers come up short on Saturday against the Blazers.
But context or not, the losses are starting to pile up for the Lakers. They have lost five of their last six and nine of their last 14. After sitting at 19-7 and battling for the No. 1 seed. 2 a few weeks ago, the Lakers are now 24-16 and only a percentage point above playing as the 6th seed.
Advertisement
The loss fits well with the loss of Austin Reaves, but those reasons mean little. The losses piled up and the Lakers slumped in Saturday’s absence.
So, let’s get into the loss. As always, grades are based on individual player expectations. A grade of “B” represents that player’s performance rating.
LeBron James
32 minutes, 20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-16 FG, 1-3 3PT, 7-7 FT, -16
Considering the Herculean asking of him to carry this team at the age of 41 and the slow start he’s had, this was a respectable performance. He was beaten a bit defensively but a very acceptable performance.
Advertisement
Grade: B
Jake LaRavia
28 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10
A night where you wanted more from LaRavia ended when he injured his arm and finished the game on the bench. It didn’t sound too serious, luckily, but it also didn’t take away from another quiet night when the Lakers needed him.
Grade: C
Maxi Kleber
21 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 4-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -19
What a sweet first quarter surprise from Kleber. He didn’t continue his career after that, but that one quarter was great fun.
Advertisement
Grade: B-
Marcus Smart
25 minutes, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 9-17 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-5 FT, -14
Speaking of pleasant surprises, Smart was arguably the best Laker in the country. He definitely filled the gap in goals as he could.
Grade: A
Gabe Vincent
23 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-6 FG, 1-4 3PT, +4
Vincent, on the other hand, did not close the scoring gap at all. And it was really brutal, especially when he opened the second half with a blocked 3-pointer.
Grade: F
Rui Hachimura
19 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, -11
Advertisement
Rui found his shooting stroke after returning from injury to be good in this game. Given the minutes limit he’s under, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he doesn’t play on Sunday.
Grade: B
Nick Smith Jr.
10 minutes, 5 points, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT, -5
This wasn’t nearly as fun as NSJ’s last game in Portland, I have to say.
Distance; D
Drew Time
29 minutes, 21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 9-12 FG, 3-4 3PT, -2
After not starting a run since signing his two-way contract, Timme finally got his chance and looked really good. It’s unclear how much space he has in the rotation, but with a game like this, it’s at least worth considering.
Advertisement
Grade: A
Jarred Vanderbilt
18 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-3 FG, -10
A classic game from Vando. Even though he returned to the game, it didn’t feel like he had the same impact he had as a starter in the LA Finals.
Grade: B-
Kobe Bufkin
22 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 fouls, 3-8 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, +0
Better showing from Bufkin in this game, though still not great. The Lakers had a lot of guards on the bench this time around and none of them really impressed.
Bronny James, Dalton Knecht
Bronny got real minutes in this rotation in the first half. She didn’t look good in them, but that’s at least something. As for Dalton, two different guards and Bronny are all playing over him, so it might pass.
Advertisement
JJ Redick
Redick tried his best this time around, playing defensive end and giving minutes to different players. But when you have 10 players and two of them are big, there aren’t many strings he can really pull.
DNPs are on Monday: Chris Mañon
Monday’s non-working: Deandre Ayton, Luka Dončić, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky on @jacobrude.bsky.social.
