Lakers: Midseason Grades for Each Player

Remember the times in the preseason when point guard Marcelo Huertas looked like diet Steve Nash and had many fans thinking that he could be a legitimate asset to the team this season? While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, be sure to remember any of those times fondly because they have long since passed. Now, Huertas has been buried on the bench and rightfully so.

Looking past the fact that he’s at the very back of a crowded backcourt in Los Angeles and is essentially wasting space on a roster that could stand to see an influx of young prospects from the D-League or elsewhere, the performance of Huertas has been hard to stomach in the rare occasions that he’s been on the floor.

The biggest knock on him is rightfully what he’s able to do on the defensive end—or, more accurately, the fact that he can’t really do much of anything on defense. He’s a saloon door on the perimeter that opponents smartly pick on whenever he does dust off his jersey and enter the game for the Lakers.

Even worse is that his offense has been frustrating to watch, as well. At a younger age, Huertas was probably an electric offensive player that could make wowing plays. However, in his early 30s in his first NBA seasons, those attempts at creating electricity with wild plays largely result in poor decisions and turnovers. He’s been an abject failure and there’s no way to avoid that.

Next: Ryan Kelly