Facing the league’s worst team in the Washington Wizards, the Lakers took care of business early and destroyed their Eastern Conference competition 134-96. They led by as many as 42 and scored a season-high 78 points in the first half.
Midway through the first quarter, this game was over and L.A. never took their foot off of the gas. Even with Anthony Davis out, LeBron James was able to sit the entire fourth quarter as the Lakers cruised to victory.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
LeBron James
27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 9-19 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-5 FT, +29
LeBron had a nice bounceback game against the Wizards. He distributed the ball well with 11 assists and, more importantly, had zero turnovers.
His lone three was from the logo and he had a nice dunk in the first half to energize the crowd. LeBron being able to rest in the fourth and still collecting the win is a huge plus for him and the team, as he’ll likely have to carry a heavier load over the next week or so with AD out.
Grade: B+
Rui Hachimura
26 minutes, 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 9-12 FG, 4-5 3PT, +21
With 22 points and zero assists, Rui was living a hooper’s dream, just getting buckets and playing an important role for the Lakers. He stepped up a big and played a near-perfect game against his former team.
It would’ve been nice if Rui cleaned up the glass a little bit more, but other than that, he was sensational.
Grade: A+
Jaxson Hayes
25 minutes, 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 4-4 FG, 2-2 FT +26
If there is a Jaxson Hayes fan club, I am not a part of it. However, he was great on Thursday against the Wizards.
He stepped up in AD’s absence and played one of his best games of the year. Hayes literally did not miss a shot, scored in double figures and led the team in rebounding with 10 boards.
If he can keep his fouls under control, then he can remain the starter and help the Lakers finish this road trip off strong.
Grade: A
Max Christie
30 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4-7 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, +21
Christie was a star in his role on Thursday. He knocked down four 3-pointers, defended well and helped the Lakers gain control of the game during the opening quarter.
If he continues stacking quality games like this, Christie can be one of the players you can rely on to play with a baseline level of competence every night. Perhaps he’s already at the level right now.
Grade: B+
Austin Reaves
30 minutes, 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 6-14 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-2 FT, +24
Reaves was much better during his on-ball duties against the Wizards and stayed aggressive, looking for his shot and finding the open man.
His stats might not jump off the page, but keep in mind he sat the entire fourth since the team took care of business early.
Grade: C-
Jarred Vanderbilt
16 minutes, 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 2-3 FG, +18
Clocking in at 16 minutes, this is the most Vando has played since returning from injury. Every second was glorious with Vanderbilt locking up Jordan Poole, stealing the ball four times and even scoring a couple of points.
Vanderbilt provides elite defense and size on the perimeter for the Lakers. It will be amazing once he and Dorian Finney-Smith are fully healthy and able to play as much as Lakers head coach JJ Redick desires.
Grade: A
Dalton Knecht
22 minutes, 10 points, 1 rebound, 3-9 FG, 2-7 3PT, 2-2 FT, +13
I’m not selling my Dalton Knecht stock, but I talk less about it these days. He scored eight points during garbage time in the fourth and still got himself ejected during this blowout win.
These bad games are part of the rookie growing pains, but he’s been tough to watch for a while now.
Grade: C-
Shake Milton
28 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, 6-6 +25
This was easily Milton’s best game as a Laker. He was a certified bucket, scoring 21 points, missing just one shot and going perfect from the charity stripe. This isn’t what he will normally do, but he can certainly play at an elite level occasionally.
Luckily for the Lakers, he brought this energy on the road and it helped them earn the win.
Grade: A+
Trey Jemison III
18 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2-6 FG, +12
It was a surprise to see Jemison getting so much run, but he did bring a certain edge to the game. He was vocal, aggressive and fought for rebounds.
His offense was a bit suspect, but given his limited time with the Lakers and being a two-way player, he did okay in his first long stint.
Grade: B
Bronny James
12 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-3 FT, +3
Victory cigar Bronny played during the entire fourth and the road fans gave him love like he was a basketball legend playing his final game ever in Washington. In actuality, he took too many shots and was largely ineffective, but it was garbage time and the basket he did make was fun to see go in.
These situations are good for Bronny to get some NBA reps, but ideally, he plays very little when anything is at stake.
Grade: C
Christian Koloko
Koloko didn’t play enough to warrant a grade. Redick opted to give Jemison a longer look and that took away any chance for him to play minutes that mattered.
JJ Redick
It’s hard to find complaints when a team wins so easily, so I won’t nitpick Redick. It’s interesting that Cam Reddish didn’t see any time at all. He seems to be a better player than Bronny and is the only active player not to touch the floor in this game. Minus that, Redick was great and his players stepped up and took care of things early.
Grade: A+
Thursday’s inactives: Anthony Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Armel Traore, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, Christian Wood
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
