Power Ranking Los Angeles Lakers Players Heading into Final Month of Season
The end of the 2014-15 NBA season can't come soon enough for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, but the team —to its credit—is still putting forth maximum effort on a nightly basis.
As a matter of fact, all 14 games the Lakers have contested since the All-Star break have been decided by single digits. Just in the past week L.A. had to face the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors—owners of the two best records in the league—in back-to-back games and nearly came away with a pair of stunning victories.
Most players on the roster are not under contract for next season. These guys are out there trying to prove their worth to the entire league in hopes of securing their next contract this summer. That dynamic has led to surprisingly solid play on an individual level.
It's hard to separate one player from the next. All 13 men who have suited up for a game since the break have averaged between 18 and 32 minutes and between five and 14 points per night.
But, as we head into the season's home stretch, we find the narrowest margins with which to power rank the roster, based on everyone's play from the past month.
Nos. 11-17
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11. Jabari Brown: Brown is the newest addition to the roster; he was picked up to bolster a backcourt that has been racked by injuries. The rookie out of Missouri has shot the ball well so far, knocking down 43 percent of his triples and 58 percent of his shots overall.
12. Nick Young: Swaggy P has played just twice since the break, missing time with a fracture in his left kneecap. He remains out indefinitely.
13. Ronnie Price: Like Young, Price has made just two appearances since All-Star Weekend. Bone chips in his elbow have kept him out, and he may well be done for the season.
14. Kobe Bryant: Bryant is definitely done for the season, giving him ample time to chat courtside with celebrities and work on his recruiting pitch to free agents this summer.
15. Julius Randle: Is 14 minutes enough for this to officially be Randle's rookie season? The next time he takes the court he may line up next to another Kentucky Wildcat up front.
16. Xavier Henry: Blowing his Achilles was a tough break for Henry, who still had some untapped potential left in him.
17. Steve Nash: I'm not totally sure if Nash even counts anymore...
No. 10: Ryan Kelly
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It's been a lost season for Kelly. He was hurt to start the year and hasn't been able to find his groove since returning, even after entering the starting lineup.
Kelly is shooting an atrocious 27 percent from the field since the break and is averaging just five points and two rebounds in more than 20 minutes per night.
The Lakers have also been getting killed defensively with Kelly on the court. He has the worst defensive rating of any Laker who has amassed at least 150 minutes over the last month, per NBA.com.
Kelly still has the potential to be a sweet-shooting stretch 4 off the bench in this league. Hopefully, with a healthy start next season, he can continue his development.
No. 9: Robert Sacre
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Say hello to the man who sports the team's worst defensive rating full stop since the All-Star break.
The Lakers are nearly seven points per 100 possessions stingier on defense with Sacre on the bench, per NBA.com. His defensive shortcomings are probably what have kept him out of the rotation the past several games in favor of the next player on the list.
Sacre hasn't scored or rebounded all that well when on the court either. He averages just 5.6 points on 43 percent shooting and a paltry three rebounds in 18 minutes per game.
If he wants to get back on the floor, Sacre needs to step it up on both ends. There's a lot of competition for minutes among Lakers bigs at the moment, and Sacre is the odd man out for head coach Byron Scott.
No. 8: Tarik Black
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Defense is Black's calling card, and boy has he bolstered L.A.'s point prevention when he's been in the game.
In direct contrast to Sacre, Black is tied for the best on-court defensive rating since the break. He's anchored the unit with solid rim protection and a strong knack for grabbing boards. He's grabbing more than twice as many rebounds as Sacre in just about the same number of minutes.
He hasn't put up the big block totals you might expect, but he's in the right place at the right time and contests everything around the hoop.
On offense, Black is just a finisher around the basket. He's not the most efficient, but he gets the job done with a 50 percent field-goal percentage. He has the look of a player who can stick around the league for a while as a backup big.
No. 7: Jordan Hill
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Hill has been allowed to stretch himself this season on offense. He's never shown the skill set to be the focal point of an offense, but he hasn't been shy about letting the ball fly this season.
Over this 14-game stretch we're focusing on, Hill has shot the ball more frequently than any other player on the roster, getting up about 17 shots every 36 minutes. Unfortunately, he's making only 41 percent of those attempts.
Hill has fallen in love with the mid-range jump shot. While he has improved his shooting touch quite a bit, it's far from a strength. Out of the 172 shots he's taken over the last month, a whopping 96 of them are from the mid-range, per NBA.com.
He's making 37.5 percent of those field goals, which isn't a bad figure, but when they come so frequently and at the expense of stuff around the basket, it hurts the team's overall offensive efficiency.
The rebounding hasn't dropped off, at least. Hill is pulling down more than 11 boards per 36 minutes, with nearly three of them coming on the offensive end. No one will mistake him for a rim protector, but the Lakers have been better on that end with him on the floor during this period.
No. 6: Wayne Ellington
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Speaking of guys who have had to stretch themselves, Wayne Ellington has had to shoulder a lot of offensive responsibility since replacing Kobe Bryant in the starting five.
A catch-and-shoot player for his entire career—including earlier this season—Ellington has had to handle the ball a lot more than he's used to in his new role.
While he's done a serviceable job with a ratio of two assists to one turnover, his own efficiency has fallen off a cliff.
Since the break he has struggled badly when shooting the basketball, connecting on only 37 percent of his field goals and 29 percent of his treys.
Nearly half of his attempts have been defended tightly or very tightly, according to NBA.com.
It's been quite an adjustment for Ellington, but he's shown the ability to hold his own against starting 2-guards around the league.
No. 5: Carlos Boozer
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Boozer has been a solid option off the bench for Byron Scott. He's scored and rebounded at rates you would expect, averaging 17 and 10 per 36 minutes since All-Star Weekend.
Nothing about Boozer has stood out over that time. He's been steady on offense and below-average on defense.
It is nice to have him out there as a safety blanket for the offense. He's still a capable one-on-one player, so when things break down late in the shot clock, he can usually get off a decent look.
He's adept at moving the ball as well, but he has coughed it up more than you would like. His foul shooting has also strangely plummeted this season.
Boozer will most likely be moving on from L.A. after this year. He put in a workmanlike performance during the 2014-15 campaign and should stick around the league for a few more seasons.
No. 4: Jeremy Lin
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Lin has rebounded in a big way over the last month. After a really disappointing start to the campaign, he has settled into his role as the sixth man and shown why his skill set makes him so good at that job.
During this post-All-Star stretch, Lin is averaging 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds to go along with two-plus steals per 36 minutes. He has boosted L.A.'s offense when on the floor and kept the turnovers—one of his biggest flaws—to a minimum.
No Laker has gotten to the foul line at a higher rate than Lin, who has averaged nearly seven trips to the charity stripe per 36 minutes. The three-point stroke hasn't been there of late, but his penetration has been an invaluable part of L.A.'s attack.
Defensively, Lin will never be a standout, but he hasn't been a huge liability of late. A strong close to the year will earn the impending free agent a decent contract this offseason.
No. 3: Wesley Johnson
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Nobody on the team runs hot and cold the way Wesley Johnson does. He's hot right now and has been a really effective player on both ends since the break.
Johnson is shooting an efficient 47 percent from the field, 37 percent from three and 86 percent from the line. He has more success with the Kobe Bryant patented "catch-and-hold" jumper—where he shoots without any rhythm after catching the ball and holding it for a few seconds, without taking any dribbles—than any other player in recent memory.
While he's not a go-to guy by any means, Johnson has shown a knack for knocking down big shots. According to 82games.com, he has a sizzling 64.3 percent effective field-goal percentage in the clutch.
On defense, Johnson has been part of some efficient point-prevention units. The Lakers are only allowing 98.5 points per 100 possessions with Johnson on the floor since the break, per NBA.com. That mark would rank second in the league.
Over the past 14 games, L.A. has gotten destroyed whenever Johnson sits. The Lakers a ridiculous 17.2 points per 100 possessions better when he's in the game, per NBA.com.
It would be awesome if he sustained this level of play the rest of the year, but given his track record, the success is bound to end sooner rather than later.
No. 2: Ed Davis
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On the whole, Ed Davis has been L.A.'s most consistent player from start to finish.
And since the All-Star break he has continued his steady play. Per 36 minutes he has averaged 14.5 points on 71 percent shooting while pulling down 12.6 boards. His defensive numbers are off the charts as well (1.4 steals, 2.6 blocks).
Davis sticks to what he does well, finishing strong around the hoop and swallowing up rebounds. He's L.A.'s top rim protector, even with his slight build. The Lakers have been nearly three points per 100 possessions better defensively with Davis patrolling the paint, per NBA.com.
Los Angeles absolutely stole him in free agency last summer. With a player option for next season, he is surely going to opt out and hit the open market in search for a big payday. He's earned it.
No. 1: Jordan Clarkson
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Clarkson is the biggest reason to keep tuning in to the Lakers for the rest of the season.
The rookie second-round draft choice has already far outperformed his humble draft status.
As he has adjusted to the role of starting point guard, Clarkson has adapted splendidly. He's gotten much better at picking out teammates off drives and doesn't make careless mistakes with the ball.
What is most exciting about his game, though, is his ability to get his own shot.
Clarkson is great at driving hard to the basket and finishing at the rim. He has converted 63.3 percent of his attempts inside the restricted area since the break, a strong figure for a point guard.
He can also pull up short of the rim and execute a nice array of floaters and runners. According to NBA.com, Clarkson has made a scorching 62 percent of his tries from the dead zone between eight and 16 feet.
His main limitation thus far has been on defense, where he has been unable to slow down the plethora of talented point guards around the Association. Opponents are shooting nearly 6 percent better than normal when being defended by Clarkson, per NBA.com, and they are lighting him up to the tune of an 80.6 percent success rate inside of six feet.
It's worrying to note that L.A. has been significantly better without Clarkson on the floor. His net rating is minus-17 points per 100 possessions, as the Lakers defense is just so much worse when he's out there.
Still, there is reason to be optimistic that Clarkson can be long-term piece for the Lakers moving forward.
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