Los Angeles Lakers Report Card: Grades for Key Players Through the 1st Quarter

Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Lakers have been anything but stellar. Getting grind 'em out wins is not going to cut it when you're battling for position in a stacked Western Conference.

Report cards are due for the Lakers, and they tell a big part of the story. Let's take a look at grades for the Lakers through the first quarter of the season.

The Rookies: B

Grade: B

The rookies have been asked to play a larger role on the team due to injuries.

Darius Morris has seen his playing time elevated due to Steve Blake's 3-4 week rib injury. At times, D-Mo has looked like a true rookie—making poor passes or not being in the right spots on the floor.

However, with the ball in his hand and a determination to get to the rack, D-Mo has shown why Lakers management drafted him with his effective play-making ability.

Andrew Goudelock has also been seeing more PT due to Kobe Bryant's wrist injury, serving as the team's backup SG. While Mike Brown continues to play Kobe 38 minutes per game, Goudelock has provided decent support from the bench.

It's clear these two backcourt mates are rookies when they hit the floor. But they are putting in a veteran effort to fill their roles.

Devin Ebanks: C-

Grade: C-

Oh, Devin. How far you've fallen since the preseason.

Hyped to be a big part of the Lakers' rotation at the start of the year, Devin's inconsistencies on the glass and the defensive end have sent him back to the bench after starting the first four games at SF.

The demotion cost him his confidence. When he has been on the floor, he has looked very unsure of his once automatic jump shot and does not look comfortable on defense.

More than anything, Devin needs to work on his mental toughness and must be ready for when his number is called. 

The physical talents and scoring production are certainly there—he just needs to straighten it out upstairs.

Jason Kapono: C

Grade: C

Jason Kapono was brought in to provide one thing and one thing only—consistent three-point shooting.

So grading him on anything else would be unfair. We all know of his limitations at one-on-one defense and handling the ball, but three-point shooting is where it counts.

On the year, Kapono is shooting 28 percent from downtown on 5-of-18 shooting. For a career 43 percent three-point shooter, Kapono is definitely not living up to expectations.

Kapono needs to make the most of the 10 minutes he's getting a game. For now, he earns an average grade for his average play.

Troy Murphy: B

Grade: B

Troy Murphy has been productive for the Lakers off the bench to start the season. Murphy has shot at a high percentage from the field—about 60 percent—and was averaging six to seven boards through his first 10 games.

His production has dropped off considerably due to a virus that sidelined him for two games and resulted in a big drop-off in minutes upon his return.

When playing alongside Kobe Bryant and either Pau Gasol/Andrew Bynum, Murphy has fit nicely into the offense and has been a knock-down shooter. He needs to provide more production for the second unit as he continues to find his legs in the 66-game season.

Metta World Peace: D-

Grade: D-

Metta World Peace's year has been an absolute disaster.

Handed the keys to the second unit by Mike Brown, World Peace has failed to not only lead the bench but has yet to make any contributions to the team's success.

His jump shot is completely ineffective. His playmaking is non-existent. His defense is near average and he appears to be a liability on the floor.

World Peace is the primary reason the Lakers trot out the worst scoring bench in the league at 19.5 points per game.

Out of 30 NBA teams, the Peace Corps rank 30th in scoring. Dead last.

Flunking him (aka amnesty) doesn't make sense this early in the season, but Metta's play is definitely as low as it can go. He's a much better player than what he's currently portraying.

Only place to go for the backbone of the bench is up.

Steve Blake: B+

Grade: B+

Before going down with a 3-4 week rib injury, Steve Blake was playing his best basketball off the bench.

He was shooting 35 percent from downtown and averaging seven points and three assists per game. Not spectacular stats, but a huge improvement from last year's numbers.

Blake was splitting time with Derek Fisher—holding down the PG position—and provided much-needed stability in the backcourt.

Simply put, the Lakers are 8-4 with Blake in the lineup and 2-4 without him.

His absence is not the sole reason for this record or the team's recent poor play, but he's a bigger factor than you'd think.

Josh McRoberts: A-

Grade: A-

Josh McRoberts has carved out quite a nice role for himself in the Lakers' rotation as the team's spark plug. Need a boost? Call on McRambis.

Every time he's on the floor, you get 110 percent and all-out hustle.

His energetic style of play complements the Lakers' frontcourt nicely, getting off-the-ball rebounds, being active around the paint and constantly running the floor.

McRoberts needs to work on finishing at the rim, but it's a small gripe given the boost he provides the team when he's inserted into the lineup.

Matt Barnes: B

Grade: B

Much like Steve Blake, Matt Barnes has bounced back from his first-year woes as a Laker.

Barnes has safely claimed the starting SF spot and has held on due to his toughness, his activity on the floor and his high basketball IQ.

He's the first man streaking on the counterattack, he makes crafty steals and blocks on defense, he grabs offensive boards and has been putting the ball in the basket.

You don't need to run plays for Matt Barnes yet he still finds ways to be productive. 

Derek Fisher: B-

Grade: B-

Co-captain Derek Fisher has been putting in a commendable effort at PG. At 37, he's lost a step or two and was not given adequate time this offseason to get into shape, but Fish is still providing good minutes for the Lakers.

He won't catch up with speedy PGs (Derrick Rose, Ty Lawson, Russell Westbrook) and he won't average double-digit points, but he'll deliver clutch plays in clutch moments and will give you the veteran presence needed during these choppy times the Lakers find themselves in.

The Lakers must still add depth at PG by this year's trade deadline if they want a shot at a title. In his 16th year at the point, Fish just can't anchor the backcourt on his own.

But in reality, Fish has played better than most expected from him coming into this season, which still hasn't been enough to get the Lakers moving in the right direction.

Pau Gasol: B

Grade: B

When it comes to Pau Gasol, it's never a simple answer. An all-world talent with the largest skill set of any seven footer in the game, Pau has looked both undeniably dominant and indescribably weak this season.

Taking his game out to the perimeter, Pau has been nailing his outside jump shot. But in the post, it's a different Pau Gasol than the one Laker fans have been accustomed to seeing.

The inconsistencies are not entirely Pau's fault. Lakers management tried to trade him not once (read: Chris Paul) but twice (read: Kevin Love) this season which, in my book, gives him a bit of a free pass for playing a bit off kilter.

By still giving a good effort for the team even after management told him he's not wanted, Pau deserves more credit. There is definitely room for improvement in terms of activity and aggressiveness, but overcoming the sleights from the Lakers' front office to play like a professional earns him a decent grade to start the season.

Andrew Bynum: A

Grade: A

A beastly grade for an absolute beast.

Andrew Bynum is showing fans why he's worth the wait, backing down opposing centers with ease and showing nice development of a left-handed hook and a softer touch off the glass.

Throw out the clunker versus the Orlando Magic (in which both Pau and Drew may have been purposely underperforming in front of Orlando's GM Otis Smith) and you get an insane 16 points and 13 rebounds per game average this year for Drew.

Bynum does it all. Unfortunately, Mike Brown has not focused the offense around Andrew. It's a shame considering the clear advantage the Lakers have with Drew at the low post.

Kobe Bryant: A+

Grade: A+

It's too bad the grading system only goes to A+ because if there was a grade higher, Mamba would get it.

The man is leading the NBA in scoring after tearing a ligament in his wrist.

For most players, a torn ligament in their shooting wrist means time off, multi-week rest and possibly surgery.

For the Mamba, a torn ligament in his shooting wrist means 30.5 points a game. He is the toughest player in the game—hands down.

Yet even with the NBA's leading scorer, the Lakers currently find themselves ninth in the Western Conference at 10-8.

Much of this blame belongs to Mike Brown.

Brown should be focusing on pounding the ball to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum every time down the floor, but he is instead installing new dribble-drive, screen-and-roll sets for an older team to learn. He is not playing to the team's strengths, and it's costing the Lakers W's.

No. 24 can only do so much. It's time for Mike Brown and the rest of the team to rise to Kobe's level and get back to championship basketball.