For so long, in the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era, the Lakers were looking for 3-and-D wings to surround their stars.
One of the best aspects of this current Lakers team is the lack of wings. Not only does this allow them to have multiple on the field throughout the game, but it also gives them options based on who is playing well.
On Friday, for example, Matisse Thybulle, who has been a regular contributor this season, struggled. The Lakers were able to turn to Jake LaRavia, then Ziaire Williams and even debuted Adou Thiero. It’s such a luxury that this team hasn’t had in years, allowing them to select the best bands every night.
So let’s dive into victory. As always, ratings are based on each player’s expectations. A “B” rating represents that player’s average performance.
24 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 0-1 FG, -8
As mentioned, this wasn’t a great play for Thybulle. He made some sloppy closeouts early and committed some frustrating turnovers.
24 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 6 fouls, 1 turnover, 2-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-4 FT, -16
Something about playing the Blazers messes with LaRavia’s brain or something, because his two worst games of the year were against them. Fortunately during this outing, he was able to mix lots of good moments to always make a positive contribution.
37 minutes, 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 fouls, 1 turnover, 7-10 FG, 2-3 FT, +8
Another quietly impressive match from Kessler, who held his own against Donovan Clingan throughout the night. His funniest basket of the night came near the end when the Blazers forgot about him in front of the rim on a comeback.
38 minutes, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers, 8-22 FG, 1-8 3PT, 8-8 FT, -6
Austin was at the center of the Lakers’ poor start, going 4-15 from the field through the first three quarters. But when he was needed, Reaves responded in the fourth, scoring 15 points on 4-7 shooting, including a huge steal and late dunk.
38 minutes, 53 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 17-33 FG, 5-15 3PT, 14-18 FT, +16
Do you know what kind of racing Luka is doing right now? The kind where, from the moment he dropped that shot from the opposing free throw line, every Lakers fan immediately thought, “That looks good.”
20 minutes, 2 points, 2 steals, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, +19
Grimes still looks a bit of a mess on offense. It screams from overthinking and not being able to find a rhythm. Even though he struggled, he was always positive on the defensive end.
But they could really use him to find some offensive rhythm.
20 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, +19
We got a glimpse of Mamu-Kessler’s front court in the first half tonight, something the team probably wasn’t able to do as much as they wanted. Mamu had to be used as a backup five, not allowing many minutes for a giant-sized frontcourt.
19 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 3-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, +8
Having a player like Ziaire available to come off the bench is such a luxury. His tipped pass late in the fourth that Austin was then able to steal was a crucial play to help seal the victory.
10 minutes, 1 assist, 5 fouls, 0-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, -10
I feel like Sexton has had enough time to not have had a preseason. It’s really bad now. If you wanted to find a spot for Cameron Carr for minutes, Sexton wouldn’t be far from being removed from the rotation.
Despite only playing six minutes, Thiero was fantastic. The Lakers used him as a screen and lob threat and, unironically, that’s a lot of utility from him. He got a lob and found Ziaire for a dunk in the first half.
His energy and activity level is always so high that it simply makes an impact.
I will give credit to Redick for what I mentioned above in his use of Thiero, who replaced Jarred Vanderbilt in the rotation. In reality, the team cannot survive with two wings that don’t shoot the floor and investing in Thiero is the right decision.
However, I’m going to hit it for this second challenge. But overall it was a good evening from him.
Friday’s DNPs: Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Jarred Vanderbilt, Lawson Lovering
Friday inactives: Cameron Carr, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, Chris Mason
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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