LA Lakers Player Grades Heading into NBA Stretch Run
Following the All-Star Game, the Los Angeles Lakers endured a week filled with change.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson took over as the team's new president of basketball operations, as the Lakers relieved executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak of their duties. L.A.'s new general manager, Rob Pelinka, is expected to begin with his day-to-day operation of the team once he divests as an agent, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The trade deadline resulted in more revolving doors. The Lakers sent Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets in exchange for veteran swingman Corey Brewer and a 2017 first-round pick, while they shipped Marcelo Huertas to the Rockets for third-year point guard Tyler Ennis.
The seismic shifts from this week will beget plenty of other transitions moving forward, all with the aim of restoring a proud franchise that has stumbled in recent years. In the meantime, here's how each current Laker is measuring up as the NBA enters its stretch run.
Deep Reserves
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15. PG Jose Calderon
In recent weeks, Jose Calderon has rarely gotten off the bench and hasn't shown a lot during the intermittent moments when he does. The 35-year-old may not be with the Lakers for much longer, as he has "launched into buyout negotiations" with the team, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
*Update: The Lakers announced Calderon’s waiver Monday on their team site. Per ESPN’s Stein, the guard is on course to sign with the Golden State Warriors.
Grade: C-
14. SF: Metta World Peace
Metta World Peace has played just 11 minutes in 2017. Does the Panda's Friend need an updated grade since the midseason version of this exercise? No, he does not. The 37-year-old is the same player he was then—a helpful mentor to younger teammates who still likes to bang into bodies when allowed.
Grade: C-
13. PG Tyler Ennis
The Lakers are now Ennis' fourth team in three years. It's too early to know how the 22-year-old point guard will fare, but he's a facilitator who doesn't turn the ball over much. He's also a decent shooter, having connected at 37.5 percent from long range this season.
Grade: C
12. SF Corey Brewer
Known as an able scorer with a talent for swiping the ball from opponents, Brewer's production has dropped off during the past two seasons. As with Ennis, it's too early to hand out a fair grade—the trade was more about the accompanying first-round pick than it was about Brewer. The stretch run should put Brewer's impact into better perspective.
Grade: C+
11. PF Thomas Robinson
In the midst of a losing season, Lakers head coach Luke Walton must weigh who benefits the most from playing time. Thomas Robinson may be the victim of that development decision, as he showed toughness and superb rebounding skills before seeing his minutes dwindle. Yet on Sunday, the former fifth overall draft pick was back in action in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, putting up nine points, eight boards and four steals in 17 minutes. Keep this guy in the rotation, Luke!
Grade: B-
Key Reserves
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10. C Timofey Mozgov
One of the most surprising changes in the team's rotation of late is the recent demotion of starting center Timofey Mozgov in favor of Tarik Black. Obtained for a steep $64 million over four years last offseason, Mozgov has been glued to the bench for five of the Lakers' past six games.
"It's tough," Walton said earlier this month, per Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, "because (Mozgov) wasn't playing bad. It's just we weren't winning and we've got 20-something games left. He was doing what we were asking of him."
Prior to arriving in L.A., Mozgov was a decent if unspectacular role player, defending the paint while chipping in the occasional basket. Now, he's not even doing that.
Grade: C
9. SF Luol Deng
Mozgov's removal from the Lakers rotation wasn't an anomaly, as Walton shifted veteran Luol Deng to the bench at the same time. But Deng has at least retained an active role, supplying solid minutes as a backup to rookie Brandon Ingram. The two-time All-Star is past his basketball peak, but his future in Los Angeles would seem a lot more tenuous if not for the four-year, $72 million contract he signed this past offseason.
Grade: C+
8. C Ivica Zubac
Ivica Zubac has been on a slow but steady development curve during his rookie campaign, beginning with D-League seasoning and more recently enjoying an increased role with the Lakers. At 7'1" and 265 pounds, the 19-year-old Croatian center has solid low-post talent, soft hands and a decent shooting touch. Zubac is still a bit like an overgrown puppy as he lopes down the court, but the potential is clearly there.
Grade: B-
7. SG Jordan Clarkson
In theory, trading away Williams should open up more scoring opportunities for Jordan Clarkson. The third-year shooting guard has been a fairly effective member of the Lakers' second unit this season. However, he hasn't exploded in the way many expected after a breakout sophomore season.
Clarkson has promising all-around skills and better-than-average slashing abilities with the ball in his hands. But the hope remains that he hasn't yet hit his ceiling and can still improve in three key areas: perfecting his outside shot, being more consistently engaged on defense and expanding his court vision.
Grade: B
6. Larry Nance Jr.
Apart from some injury issues, Larry Nance Jr. has been a model of consistent dedication and improving skills. The sophomore big man can defend the ball, snag boards and power home high-flying dunks. He also sees the floor well and is gradually developing a more reliable jumper.
Grade: B+
5. C Tarik Black
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Tarik Black, a third-year backup big man, has started at center for the Lakers' past 11 games in place of Mozgov. That move gives the coaching staff a chance to better evaluate him.
The combo big man didn't get a lot of burn last year under former head coach Byron Scott, but his role has increased under Walton. Moving forward, the coaching staff must figure out where his ceiling rests.
Black went undrafted out of the University of Kansas and is undersized for the center position at 6'9" and 250 pounds. He doesn't have much shooting range, as he does most of his offensive damage within a few feet of the basket.
Black does have a high motor and an uncanny knack for setting picks and rolling hard to the basket for point-blank finishes, though. He's also a physical player, not afraid to mix it up under the basket.
Despite his new role, the big man nicknamed "Boom-Boom" still isn't logging a ton of floor time, averaging fewer than 16 minutes per game over his last five starts. That's likely due to his limited offensive skills, but he's a hard worker and crashes the glass effectively.
Black is the kind of solid role player who can help a team. The Lakers can only hope he further grows his game in time.
Grade: B-
4. SG Nick Young
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Another trade deadline has passed, and Nick Young is still wearing purple and gold. Now it's time to prove his resurgent season isn't fool's gold.
For the time being, Walton plans on keeping Young in the starting lineup despite beginning to rely more heavily upon the Lakers' young pups, per Mark Medina of the Orange County Register.
After falling out of favor under Scott, Young's resurgence under Walton has been one of the most pleasant surprises for L.A. this season. Credit the happy-go-lucky scorer's willingness to change his stripes.
Young never met a shot he didn't like, but he has turned himself into a passable defender as well. He is also taking a more disciplined approach to shooting in rhythm off passes rather than creating shots for himself. Swaggy P even snagged an invite to this year's All-Star Weekend, where he tied with Klay Thompson for fourth place in the three-point shootout..
Nobody believes Young will be a long-term part of the Lakers' return to championship glory. Then again, nobody expected this type of production from him at age 31.
Grade: B
3. SF Brandon Ingram
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Heading into his rookie season, the prominent questions surrounding Brandon Ingram were how fast he would develop and what type of role he'd play under Walton.
His arc has been pretty clear.
Walton eased the No. 2 overall pick into L.A.'s rotation and handed him a steady increase of both minutes and responsibilities as the season progressed. Embedding him in one of the league's most potent benches was a way to boost his confidence. And after testing out a bevy of assignments—small forward one moment, a 6'9” point guard the next—Ingram was promoted to the starting lineup.
Ingram is an essential part of L.A.'s rebuild. Prior to their dismissal, Kupchak and Buss rejected the idea of including the rook in a swap for DeMarcus Cousins, according to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne.
Would Johnson have made that same decision? We may never know.
Regardless, Ingram is an impossibly long 19-year-old with a ton of potential. While his shooting is streaky, he exudes a quiet sense of poise and doesn't back away from the moment.
Perhaps Magic—a guy who played positionless basketball long before it became en vogue—can teach Ingram a few tricks of the trade.
Grade: B+
2. PF Julius Randle
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Julius Randle's third season is essentially his second, as a broken leg sidelined him for all but 14 minutes of his rookie campaign. Despite that significant early setback, the 6'9" power forward has continued to evolve his game.
Randle hasn't yet perfected a reliable outside shooting stroke, and his rebounds have dipped from 10.2 last season to 8.1 currently. But he continues to advance his playmaking skills, going from 1.8 assists per game as a sophomore to 3.5 this year.
Versatility has been a signature part of Randle's game since his lone year at Kentucky—he's a 250-pound freight train who can handle the ball and shift gears in the open court. Except now, he'll just as willingly dish to a teammate as create for himself. Case in point: He's the team's second-leading assist man behind D'Angelo Russell.
Defensively, Randle remains a work in progress. He's been better about switching onto shooters and forcing bad attempts this season, but he lacks natural lateral agility and needs to keep honing his awareness.
The former No. 7 overall pick is still just 22 years old. There's no reason to suspect that he's capped out on his development.
Grade: B+
1. PG D'Angelo Russell
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Second-year point guard D'Angelo Russell has continued on his up-and-down journey with the Lakers. If he ever decides what type of player he wishes to be, he could become special.
During a Friday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2015 second overall pick put up 29 points on 26 shots, six dimes, four boards and four steals in 36 minutes. Compare that with two points on two shots, five assists and one rebound on Feb. 8 against the Detroit Pistons. He had 11 dimes against the Washington Wizards on Feb. 2 and just one against the Sacramento Kings two weeks later.
The sophomore, who turned 21 on Thursday, is not yet a paragon of consistency. In his defense, he has been through a considerable overhaul during his short NBA career—two head coaches with vastly different styles in Scott and Walton, two sets of assistant coaches and now a front office upheaval.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently wrote about the need for Walton to invest more time and attention into Russell's future, pointing out the less-than-stellar results when the guard gets short minutes (such as his mediocre game against the Kings). Regardless of his fluctuating playing time, it's still up to Russell not only to define his game but to put forth a consistent effort.
Russell still gets high marks for continuing potential and some explosive individual performances, but he would do well to demonstrate more consistency over the final 22 games. Otherwise, a team with high expectations and a new front office may go shopping for a new floor general over the summer.
Grade: B+
Statistics are current through Sunday, Feb. 26.
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