Assessing every Lakers player’s performance from the team’s 122-119 win over Spurs.
The Lakers didn't make it easy on themselves, allowing the Spurs to come back in the fourth and make it a game late, but Anthony Davis led the LeBron James-less Lakers to victory, beating the Spurs 122-119.
It was the second night of a back-to-back, but L.A. didn't show it, pushing the tempo, hitting 13 3-pointers and winning the points in the paint battle 62-58.
So, let's grade the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A "B" grade represents the average performance for that player.
38 minutes, 37 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, 13-23 FG, 2-3 3PT, 9-12 FT, +5
Could Anthony Davis have played better on Wednesday? I don't think so.
Davis had 37 points and 10 boards and was a defensive tyrant, grabbing four steals, deflecting passes, and taking on Victor Wembanyama.
Austin Reaves on Anthony Davis having 37 or more points in three straight games: “An offensive possession is never a bad possession when we give AD the ball.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 14, 2023
Reaves said the team has learned that they need to play through AD, adding that they shouldn’t have had to learn that.
His 9-12 shooting from the free throw line was crucial late in the game and his last steal sealed the win.
With 41 points in the In-Season Tournament title match on Saturday, 38 points on Tuesday and 37 on Wednesday, there's nothing you can say about Davis' game except that he's playing at an MVP level.
Grade: A+
24 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block, 4-7 FG, +12
Cam Reddish did everything right against the Spurs. He scored double-digit points, defended well and had the second-best plus-minus on the team with a +12. This was a good bounce-back game for Reddish after a poor performance against the Mavs just 24 hours earlier.
Grade: B+
32 minutes, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6-12 FG, 4-10 3PT, +3
Over the month of December, Prince has gotten his 3-ball back. That form continued tonight, going 4-10 from deep and grabbing five boards and rebounds, respectively. If Prince keeps playing this well, he might keep his starting role even when Jarred Vanderbilt gets his legs under him.
Grade: B+
24 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 6-10 FG, 1-2 3PT, +15
Rui Hachimura did a good job taking over LeBron James' starting spot. He came out red-hot, scoring seven straight points and shot efficiently from the floor at 60%. He cooled down during the second half and wasn't a huge factor late in the game, but this was still one of his better performances since returning from injury.
Grade: B-
29 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 6-10 FG, 3-6 3PT, -9
Austin Reaves continues to be a bucket off the bench, leading the team in scoring for all non-starters with 15 points. Reaves would've gotten a higher grade, but his impact dwindled late in the game as he didn't help stop the Spurs' second-half runs.
Surprisingly, Reaves shot zero free throws, but he did shoot 3-6 from deep and had eight assists in the win.
Grade: B-
33 minutes, 12 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 6-13 FG, 0-4 3PT, -6
D'Angelo Russell had some lackluster games the past week, but tonight was a step in the right direction. He was aggressive in the fourth quarter and found success driving to the basket and pulling up from the midrange. Russell ended the game with a team-high 10 assists.
Grade: B-
21 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, -13
A Christian Wood sighting!
The Lakers big has gotten a few DNPs recently, so seeing him playing 21 minutes was a surprise. Was it because James was out and head coach Darvin Ham wanted more size on the floor, or did he want to give him another look after a few mediocre Jaxson Hayes outings?
Either way, Wood was serviceable against San Antonio, cleaning up the glass and being aggressive offensively when the Lakers' scoring slowed down in the second half. This wasn't a game that will likely increase the amount of time Wood plays, but it did show that he can be an option if you want some length and if other players are just getting cardio in.
Grade: C
17 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1-1 FG, -2
It feels tough grading Vanderbilt, knowing he's just coming back from injury and missed the previous game due to back spasms. Still, he played 17 minutes and looked average at best. Vanderbilt didn't impress defensively and his offense was absent. We've seen the best version of Vanderbilt last season and even in the NBA In-Season Tournament championship, so I don't think there's cause for concern, but he didn't play well tonight.
Grade: C-
7 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 2-3 FG, +2
Jaxson Hayes played in this game?
Okay, I guess. He didn't impact it and his seven minutes were split between a shift in the second and a minute and a half in the fourth. It seems like Ham picked Wood over Hayes, and given his lackluster performance during his handful of minutes, that was the right move.
Grade: D
14 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-5 FG +8
Another low-teens-minute game for Max Christie. He did the little things like crashing the boards but didn't impress defensively and only converted on one lone field goal. With Prince back and Reddish playing well, Christie might once again be on the outside looking in at the rotation.
Grade: C
How much do you blame Darvin Ham for the Spurs surging back in the fourth?
For me, not much. He was missing his superstar in LeBron and he did call multiple timeouts and brought Davis back in the game when the lead was still 11.
It was a good move, giving Wood more run and the only complaint is that Reddish should've gotten more play in the second half—other than that, he distributed minutes well and pushed the right buttons.
Grade: B
Friday's DNPs: Colin Castleton, D'Moi Hodge
Friday's inactives: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, Alex Fudge, LeBron James, Gabe Vincent
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
