28 games into the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been improving as a team, slowly but surely. After having a dreadful season last year, finishing with just 26 wins, the Lakers are showing many signs of improvement in various areas. The most obvious sign that indicates that they are heading in the right direction is their record. They are currently 11th in the dominant Western Conference and are only 3 games out of the 8th playoff seed. Not only are they still in the playoff race, they also are keeping games relatively competitive, which is something that most Lakers fans (including myself) are not used to.
In terms of player production, here are the various letter grades that the core of the team has earned themselves so far:
Brandon Ingram (S.I.com)
Brandon Ingram: Ingram is deserving of an “A” letter grade due to his ability to put up 16 points per game while averaging 5 boards and 3 assists. He has been the most improved player from last season, and coach Luke Walton is rewarding him with the playing time that he deserves. The statistic that has stood out the most is his .453 shooting percentage compared to .402 last year. Due to his narrow frame and huge wingspan, he has drawn some comparisons to Kevin Durant. Many fans stopped believing that he actually had the ability to develop into a Durant-type player, but this season he has given them a reason to keep believing it could happen.
Kyle Kuzma: With little expected of him coming in to the 2017-2018 season, Kuzma has earned himself an “A-” at this point of the season. Being the 27th pick in the draft has actually worked in his favor because of the low expectations that people had for him. His 16 points per game and 6 rebounds per game have helped him secure a solid spot on the roster. Offensively he has been providing solid energy and consistent scoring. Defensively, he has not been phenomenal, but he has held his own up to this point. He has been the most pleasant surprise for the Lakers this year, and I would not be surprised if he is a part of their plans in the years to come.
Larry Nance Jr.: One of the most liked Lakers players on the current roster has earned himself a “B+” so far this season. Although he only averages about 9 points and 7 rebounds per game, he has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. He is the type of player who does not have any plays called for him, but still manages to make an impact. Whether it is deflecting a shot or hustling for a loose ball, Nance has proven to be one of the more consistent starters on the team and Walton has been rewarded for that.
Lonzo Ball: Ball has not been performing nearly as well as people around the league anticipated, but has still earned himself a “B-” letter grade thus far. It is not always easy to show signs of excellence immediately when entering the NBA. However, other rookies such as Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum have managed to do so. This
Coach Luke Walton and Lonzo Ball (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
does not mean Ball is a complete bust, but it does mean that Ball has some work to do in order to live up to the hype. He is averaging roughly 9 points, 7 assists, and 7 boards per game, which is not bad for a rookie. His .332 shooting percentage from the field does draw some concerns about his offensive game in the future. However it is too early to give up on a player 27 games into his career.
Julius Randle/Jordan Clarkson: Randle and Clarkson have both earned themselves a “C+” up to this point in the season. They are not playing terrible basketball, but they have just not shown many signs of improvement from last season. Clarkson’s numbers have been almost identical to last year’s. He has done a good job scoring the ball off the bench this year, which is the majority of his game. Randle is in “the dog house” this year due to the excellent play of Nance. His minutes have dropped from around 27 to 22 because Walton and his staff have made it clear that he is not in their plans for the future. Although he may be one of the most talented players on the roster, it would not be surprising if he gets traded soon in order to pave the way for acquiring player like LeBron James or Paul George.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Caldwell-Pope is not exceeding his expectations nor underperforming this season, which is why he gets a “C” so far this year. There is nothing wrong with a player who averages about 14 points per game, 5 boards, and a few assists per contest. That being said, his off-the-court issues with the DUI case will cause him to miss the next several games away from Staples Center. This will give players like Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson more opportunities to prove their value. Caldwell-Pope needs to show there is more to his game than just scoring in order to get an extension on the team.
Brook Lopez: Lopez has not been performing up to par this season, which is why he has earned a “C-” up to this point. I never expected to put him this far down on the list, but
Players Brook Lopez and Tyler Zeller (nydailynews.com)
his 13 points per game (career low), 4 boards, and 1.6 blocks per game give me no reason to grade him higher than this. Lopez has not meshed well with the current young core, but has provided the ability to match up with other 7-footers on defense. This has been the only positive to his horrendous 2017 campaign. Unless he magically turns around his play, I would be shocked if the Lakers kept him on the roster next season.
Written by Evan Pine, NBA Perspectives/Forward Mile writer
NBA Perspective Blogs 