Lakers: Stock Watch and Grades After Loss to Suns

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers lost by 19 to the Phoenix Suns.

Despite keeping the game close for the first three quarters, the Lakers continued their trend of allowing their opponents to pull away late with lackluster play in the fourth. The bench in particular struggled in this game with Brandon Bass and Larry Nance Jr. both playing poorly.

The Lakers continued to shuffle their backup back-court, playing Lou Williams and Marcelo Huertas together for the first time in a few games. This squad continued to have issues on the defensive end, particularly with the undersized Bass at center.

The Lakers have been unable to gain any sort of rhythm so far in this young season, and it will be interesting to see if that changes as the players become more acquainted with each other. With the team looking mostly out of sync, the Lakers have relied heavily on the performance of individual players, with mixed results:

Defense: D+

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Being able to end an opponents possession is a huge factor in playing solid defense, and the Lakers were completely unable to do that against the Phoenix Suns. Giving up offensive rebounds seemingly on every-other play, the Lakers were unable to capitalize even when they were able to force misses. Combine that with a back-court of Lou Williams and Marcelo Huertas which allowed dribble penetration on a regular basis, with the only rim protector behind them being Brandon Bass, and you have a defense that allows an average of thirty points per quarter against the Suns.

Offense: C

This offense relied on good efforts from Roy Hibbert and Jordan Clarkson. Nick Young also continued to shoot the ball well, with eleven points on nine shots. Metta World Peace and Lou Williams also had solid nights from the field, although Williams continued to demonstrate his questionable decision-making. However, after shooting very well in the first half, World Peace was used very sparingly in the second, to the detriment of the team.

...Metta didn't play the 4th quarter. All other starters played at least 4:19. Russell played 6:43; Randle - 6:23. https://t.co/KdNRbhbRKE
— Shahan Ahmed (@shahanLA) November 17, 2015

The Lakers also had sixteen turnovers, compared to only ten for the Suns. In the end, the offense faltered alongside the defense, allowing the Suns to extend their lead throughout the fourth quarter.

Stock Up: Jordan Clarkson

The steal of last year’s draft continues to prove last year was no fluke. He has looked unstoppable at times this season, showing an increasingly well-rounded offensive game. Against the Suns he shot 6-12 from the field while scoring 20 points for the Purple and Gold. He also flaunted his improved range by making two of his three attempts from long-range.

Stock Down: Larry Nance Jr.

The fact that Nance Jr. is even in this category is a testament to how greatly he has exceeded expectations so far

The fact that Nance Jr. is even in this category is a testament to how greatly he has exceeded expectations so far. Considered an after-thought when the Lakers drafted him, he has quickly become an impact player for the team.

That being said, Nance Jr.’s impact was negligible in this game, scoring zero points and grabbing only three rebounds in 23 minutes. The rebounding particularly hurt the Lakers, who gave up eighteen offensive rebounds compared to only seven of their own.

Stock Up: Roy Hibbert

Hibbert continued to be the work-horse of this Lakers team, accumulating an impressive stat-line while protecting the rim and providing the Lakers with a physical presence inside. The 28 year old center shot the ball very well against the Suns, scoring fourteen points on 6-9 from the field. He also led the team in rebounding, although his seven rebounds should not have been enough to pace the team.