Player Grades: Lakers vs. Nets

Grading every Lakers player’s performance from the team’s 111-108 loss to the Nets.

What an ugly game the Lakers had in Brooklyn. They matched the Nets’ unseriounsess and even topped it with their play throughout Monday’s loss.

Sure, there are excuses Los Angeles could use. LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Dorian Finney-Smith are all out, but even being this short-handed, they can and should have won this game.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Alex Len

13 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 0-1 FG, -4

Len starting as a Lakers will one day be a sports trivia question. In his 13 minutes, he was actually sort of kind of okay. Len was in the right spots, fought for rebounds and passed well from inside the paint.

His offensive weakness really hurt. Even worse, there were moments he was open and Luka Dončić refused to pass him the ball. If the best players on the team can’t trust him, then that’s an even bigger problem for Len. Overall, he did the best he could, given how long Len’s been on the roster and the tough spot he was put in.

Grade: C

Gabe Vincent

34 minutes, 24 points, 3 assists, 8-12 FG, 6-9 3PT, 2-2 FT, -1

This was the best game Vincent has had as a Laker. He led the team in scoring and went 6-9 from 3-point range. He consistently knocked down shots, including a late three in the fourth that kept the Lakers alive.

With so many players out, the Lakers needed players like Vincnent to step up, and he did just that. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in a win.

Grade: A

Luka Dončić

41 minutes, 22 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 8-26 FG, 3-10 3PT, 3-4 FT, +3

With LeBron out, Luka has to be better. He complained far too much on calls and got a tech for it, struggled to score most of the game, and while he did grab 12 boards, the Lakers really needed him to crash the boards better late.

After the loss, he admitted that the lack of offensive communication was his fault. Accountability is a great step, but actions speak louder than words. The Lakers need him to perform at a higher level during the rest of this road trip.

Grade: C-

Austin Reaves

36 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 block, 3-14 FG, 1-5 3PT, 10-11 FT, -10

Reaves is playing, but when will he be back? This was another dud of a performance from Austin. Going 3-14 from the field is putrid, and he didn’t make enough of an impact in other parts of the game to make up for it.

Hopefully, Reaves can play out of this funk soon.

Grade: D

Dalton Knecht

41 minutes, 19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 8-18 FG, 3-9 3PT, 0-2 FT, +10

Knecht had one of his best games in recent memory on Monday. He was aggressive inside the paint and had a really nice dunk in the second quarter. It felt like whenever the Lakers needed a bucket, either Gabe or Knecht would step up and knock one down.

If Knecht continues to play at this level, he will likely be in the rotation come playoff time.

Grade: A-

Jarred Vanderbilt

27 minutes, 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, -7

This was a typical Vando game. He defended well, scored when the opportunity presented itself and was aggressive on the boards. It wasn’t enough to change the results, but he did what you expect of him.

Grade: B

Trey Jemison III

18 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks 1-3 FG, +1

The Jemison experience is getting old fast. He doesn’t rebound well, can’t score at all, and besides being a brawler, what does he provide on the court?

He has a great story, and hopefully, he will find a way to be productive, but right now, Jemison needs less time on the court.

Grade: C-

Jordan Goodwin

24 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 6-8 FG, 5-6 3PT, -3

Goodwin was amazing in this game. He was a solid on-ball defender, grabbed rebounds and shot 5-6 from 3-point range. The Lakers did an incredible job signing him to a two-way deal and he needs to get a guaranteed contract.

Grade: A+

Shake Milton

Milton played for just six minutes, which is not enough to earn a grade. However, the Nets did acknowledge that this was his return game, so that’s cool, I guess.

JJ Redick

When a team has unseriousness, the coach has to have some responsibility for it. So, some blame is fair for Redick not keeping these guys sharp. This was a winnable game and he didn’t do enough in the second half to earn the result he wanted.

I think he took too long to call timeouts when Brooklyn went on runs. His challenge early on was bad and playing Jemison 18 minutes and Christian Koloko zero made no sense.

Grade: C

Monday’s DNPs: Christian Koloko, Cam Reddish, Markieff Morris

Monday’s inactive: Bronny James, Maxi Kleber, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Dorian Finney-Smith, LeBron James

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.