Lakers player grades: Suns win as L.A. nearly combusts
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns in the second game of the regular season, 115-105, but the scoreline looked more respectable than it was.
After leading 26-23 through one quarter, the Lakers’ offense collapsed in the second as seemingly every play on defense was a foul for Phoenix; the calls dragged the quarter on, and frustrations mounted for L.A., especially between Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard.
Los Angeles trailed 57-44 going into halftime, and the same sluggish style continued for L.A. in the third. Phoenix went on to outscore L.A. 37-23 and increased the lead to 32 points at one point in the quarter. Everything for L.A. went wrong.
In the fourth, the Lakers brought in undrafted rookie Austin Reaves to play alongside Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony that sparked a run, but the comeback effort fell short.
Here’s how the Lakers, now 0-2, graded individually after the loss:
Russell Westbrook: D-plus
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Westbrook had a more active performance than in his debut against the Golden State Warriors, but it still wasn’t where L.A. needs him to be.
He started off the first quarter strong to lead the Lakers with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, but his production also dipped when Los Angeles fell apart in the second and third quarters.
He finished the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, two assists, a block, four turnovers and five fouls. He shot 6-of-15 overall, 0-of-3 from deep and 3-of-8 from the free-throw line, so he can clearly improve in several areas.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Kent Bazemore had a quiet night on offense, but his first-quarter defense on Devin Booker stood out when Booker started the game shooting 1-of-6. As the game went on, however, Bazemore wasn’t involved as much.
LeBron James: B-minus
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Just like against the Warriors, James’ jump shot was pure money. He scored 25 points and shot 5-of-9 from deep (it was 5-of-7 at one point), but he was flat everywhere else.
James added five assists, two rebounds, two steals, five turnovers and four fouls to his stat line, and there were too many times he looked disengaged from the action. That played a role in L.A.’s disastrous run in the middle two quarters.
Anthony Davis: C
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Davis saved his grade by having a more impactful fourth quarter. He didn’t show any interior dominance through the first three quarters and missed numerous easy shots around the rim for a 6-of-18 total. However, he made 10-of-11 free throws for 22 points.
He added 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, but it was far from a good game by his standards. It was, in some ways, reminiscent of his Game 1 performance from last year’s playoff series.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
DeAndre Jordan started both halves, but he played just 10 minutes total for two points, four rebounds and an assist.
He likely won’t get many minutes when Trevor Ariza is back. Particularly playing drop coverage against Chris Paul’s eviscerating mid-range game is inexcusable, and Ayton also bested Jordan in those minutes.
Carmelo Anthony: C-plus
The defensive issues came up as expected, but Carmelo Anthony provided the 3-point scoring punch the Lakers need from him. In 24 minutes, Anthony scored 16 points as he shot 4-of-6 from deep.
Anthony added five rebounds and one assist.
Avery Bradley played most of his 20 minutes in the first half, but he didn’t make the impact he did against Golden State. He missed all three field-goal attempts, and he posted all zeroes across the board except for two fouls. He was a minus-25 on the night, a game low.
Rajon Rondo: C
Rajon Rondo was key early in the fourth quarter when the momentum started shifting, but he also made important shots earlier in the game. He went 2-of-3 from deep for six points and added four rebounds and three assists in 13 minutes.
However, his fouls and perimeter defense are why he didn’t play more.
Malik Monk: D
Malik Monk got first-quarter minutes as one of the first substitutes off the bench, but he didn’t leave his imprint on the game. He made a nice mid-range jumper but went 1-of-4 from deep. His minus-19 mark also made sense given his inability to contain the perimeter for stretches.
Dwight Howard: D
Howard’s most memorable moment from the night was his altercation with Davis in the second quarter. He said postgame the two big men settled everything, but that tells you what you need to know about his outing. JaVale McGee outplayed him.
Austin Reaves: B-plus
Austin Reaves can play. He played the entire fourth quarter and scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting (2-of-3 from deep). He forced Phoenix’s guards, including Booker, into misses on defense and rarely missed assignments on that end of the floor.
He may be a rookie, but he can clearly help this squad now.
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