Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis out versus the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, it looked from the beginning like it would be an ugly game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They fell behind 11-0. Though they fought back with the help of a zone defense that slowed the Raptors a bit, Toronto went on a 24-3 run in the second quarter.
Once L.A. fell behind 70-47 at halftime, it was over, even though it drew within 11 points late in the third quarter. The final score of 126-113 didn’t indicate how lopsided the game was.
The Lakers’ lack of viable depth at the forward positions was evident. They went with many four-guard lineups. Troy Brown Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson were forced to play almost exclusively at the 4, even though both are nominally small forwards.
Toronto took full advantage with 58 points in the paint, 17 offensive rebounds and 28 fast-break points.
Juan Toscano-Anderson: B/B-minus
Toscano-Anderson had some moments of solid defense against players such as Pascal Siakam. Offensively, he was quiet. He went 1-of-2 from the field, scoring three points and adding three rebounds and two assists.
Alas, he appeared to suffer a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Thomas Bryant: A-minus
In 32 minutes, Bryant displayed the energy and hustle that have made him a solid NBA center. He scored 16 points, as he went 3-of-5 from the field and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
Dennis Schroder: A-minus
Schroder was one of the few Lakers who played well throughout. He put up 18 points in 28 minutes on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
The German native also contributed three assists and five rebounds.
With Patrick Beverley’s massive struggles offensively, the Lakers could use more nights like this from Schroder.
Austin Reaves: C
This was another rough night for the second-year man. He was 4-of-12 overall and 1-of-6 from 3-point range, and he finished with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds.
Lonnie Walker IV: C
This was Walker’s second poor game in a row after playing so well and consistently for a long stretch. He just couldn’t get his shots to fall. He went 5-of-16 overall and 2-of-7 from downtown for 12 points.
Troy Brown Jr.: C
Brown made 2-of-6 shots overall and missed all three of his 3-point attempts to finish with eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes.
Damian Jones: A
For the second straight game, Jones gained significant playing time, and he took full advantage.
He scored 10 points, missing just one of his five shots while grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking a shot in 25 minutes.
In roughly 10-15 minutes a game, Jones can definitely be a serviceable center for the Lakers.
Russell Westbrook: C
Westbrook tried to help the Lakers’ cause, but he was just too inefficient.
He was just 5-of-13 from the field for 16 points while committing five turnovers in 28 minutes. He did, however, grab nine rebounds and helped L.A. not get outrebounded as badly as perhaps it should’ve.
Kendrick Nunn: A-minus
For the first time in a while, Nunn was very effective offensively. He made 6-of-13 shots and scored 15 points in 21 minutes, to go along with three steals, two rebounds and one assist.
Max Christie: B
In 13 minutes, the rookie wing made 2-of-5 shots, which included a 3-pointer, giving him five points and three rebounds on the night.
