Coming into this game, there was a bit of hope that Russell Westbrook being out due to a bad hamstring would get the 0-3 Lakers going a bit.
Instead, they looked like the same team that lost to the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles’ offensive woes continued, as it scored only 99 points. The team had a solid second quarter in which it outscored the Denver Nuggets 32-28, but it came out flat in the third quarter and scored just 17 points while giving up 32.
The Lakers looked slow and stagnant offensively, as they didn’t consistently push the pace and were robotic and predictable in their halfcourt offense. Meanwhile, Denver played fast and aggressive, as it outscored the Lakers 35-18 in fast-break points.
Yet again, L.A. also had trouble hitting from the outside, going just 8-of-30 from 3-point range, resulting in a 110-99 loss.
Anthony Davis: A-/B+
Davis played fairly well despite having to gut it out again with lower back discomfort. Twice during the contest, he appeared to aggravate the ailment, but he remained on the floor and played 36 minutes.
He finished with 22 points on 11-of-19 shooting, 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots. However, he didn’t attack the basket too much, perhaps partly due to the presence of Jokic, and he therefore only attempted one free throw all night.
LeBron James: C-
For most of the first three quarters, James was rather passive, as he chiefly looked to set up his teammates and seemed to be playing in slow motion.
He started to activate himself when the fourth quarter started by scoring on back-to-back one-man fast breaks while getting fouled. Moments later, he hit a 3-pointer, but his results evaporated from that point on.
At times, he seemed frustrated by the officiating, as he felt he wasn’t getting enough calls (he may have had a legitimate argument though).
James finished just 8-of-21 from the field and had almost as many turnovers (eight) as assists (nine), which is rare for him.
Patrick Beverley: C-
Beverley’s defensive pressure wasn’t as noticeable as usual versus Denver, and his struggles on the offensive end continued. He shot just 1-of-4 from the field, missing both of his 3-point attempts, but on the bright side, he did have three assists and zero turnovers.
Austin Reaves: B
Reaves provided a bit of a boost for Los Angeles by knocking down 2-of-3 shots from 3-point range. Overall, he had eight points, two rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes.
Lonnie Walker IV: B-
At times, especially earlier in the game, Walker did a good job of attacking the basket, and he made a couple of tough layups while absorbing contact from defenders.
But he wasn’t too efficient, as he went 6-of-14 overall and 1-of-6 from downtown. Defensively, he put in some effort, as he came up with two steals and one blocked shot.
Matt Ryan: A-
Ryan came in during the fourth quarter and hit 2-of-3 from downtown to help spark a brief L.A. run that gave the team a glimmer of hope.
As of now, he may be the team’s only reliable threat from 3-point land.
Troy Brown Jr.: B
Brown did a little bit of several things, registering six points on 3-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, four assists and one steal. He’s still feeling his way onto the team, as he missed all of training camp with a back injury.
Juan Toscano-Anderson: B
In 10 minutes, Toscano-Anderson went 1-of-2 from the floor, grabbed three rebounds and showed decent defensive effort.
Damian Jones: B
Jones may lack lots of basketball skills, but he showed some good effort and energy, which led to four rebounds, four points and one blocked shot in 12 minutes. His energy helped him draw a couple of fouls in the act of shooting, as well as get himself an open dunk off a pass from Beverley.
Kendrick Nunn: D
It was yet another rough night for Nunn, who went just 4-of-12 from the field (with two of those baskets coming in garbage time) and 1-of-4 from downtown. He also committed three turnovers in 19 minutes.
