The Los Angeles Lakers have a wide-open spot in their starting lineup, but Jake LaRavia has already proved that he’s not the answer. This goes back to before his days in LA. The 6’7 forward has been inconsistent throughout his first four NBA seasons. LaRavia struggled so much in his first two years that the Grizzlies declined his fourth-year team option in November 2024. He quickly made Memphis regret it, but last season the inconsistency returned in his first season with the Lakers.
LaRavia averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in a career-high 25.1 minutes per game. He appeared in all 82 regular-season contests. The 24-year-old shot 45.9 percent from the field, but made just 32.1 percent on his 3-pointers. That is solid production from a reserve. The Lakers need him to space the floor, and his up-and-down production should prevent him from starting.
The Lakers want to contend for the championship. They rebuilt their roster around Luka Doncic and have a superstar in his prime. There is no time to waste. Los Angeles has Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Quentin Grimes locked into their starting five. The final spot is open, and LaRavia has shown why he cannot be the answer.
Jake LaRavia’s production is wildly inconsistent
The 6’7 forward struggled to crack the Grizzlies rotation in his first two seasons, despite being the 19th overall draft pick in 2022. It wasn’t until his third year that he broke out. LaRavia had a negative value over replacement player (VORP) in his first two years before leaping to 0.8 in his third season. Last season, it dipped to 0.4, and he was back to being below league average in win shares per 48 minutes after one campaign above it.
LaRavia shot 42.3 percent from 3-point range over 142 attempts in the 2025 season and dipped to 32.1 percent over 243 tries last year. Everyone wants to know which year was the fluke, but that is the problem.
Even last season, LaRavia had four 20-point games and five where he was held scoreless. He shot 31.1 percent from 3-point range over the first 25 games before shooting 40.0 percent over the next 14. Then, it was 27.9 percent over the final 43 contests.
The Lakers can’t start a forward who shot 29.2 percent from 3-point range over 68 games last season. If it wasn’t for that hot 14-game stretch, LaRavia would have been one of the worst 3-point shooters in the league.
It is impossible to predict his production, and the Lakers don’t want the headaches or questions that come with benching a starter. LaRavia’s inconsistency makes him a reserve, and that is not the only reason.
Jake LaRavia didn’t play well next to Luka Doncic
Starting for the Lakers means playing well next to Luka Doncic. Per Databallr, LA had a 4.8 net rating in their 1,035 minutes together. That sounds strong until fans dive a bit deeper. The Lakers had a 7.3 net rating with Luka on and LaRavia off and 7.0 when both players were on the bench. Their 118.1 defensive rating would have been 24th in the NBA over the full season and only ahead of tanking teams.
NBA Stats told a similar story. They had the Doncic and LaRavia net rating at 2.1 with a worse offense and a slightly better defense. Still, the 117.0 defensive rating was 1.5 points below their season total.
The Lakers have defensive questions already with Luka and Austin Reaves starting. They cannot throw in an inconsistent third player who may drag their defensive rating down into the league’s bottom five. Los Angeles will be better this season with Walker Kessler on the roster, but LaRavia’s production next to Luka tells the tale.
Lakers need defense and shooting from the final starting spot
LA should start whoever gives them the best mix of shooting and defense. They have Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Jarred Vanderbilt, Cameron Carr, and LaRavia battling for playing time. It should be an open competition during training camp for all 48 minutes at the four. This is a new-look roster, and head coach JJ Redick must figure out how the pieces fit together.
The Lakers can’t be opening games with no idea how much production they will get from LaRavia. Vando’s lack of offense will likely quickly eliminate him from the running. It is on one of the others to step up and claim the starting role. If the Lakers have to turn to LaRavia, things have not gone well in training camp.
Jake LaRavia has already proved he shouldn’t be starting for the Los Angeles Lakers. His inconsistency and questionable shooting make him a reserve. The Lakers will need him to eat minutes, but they can’t trust him. It is easy to put LaRavia back on the bench when he doesn’t have it.
Benching him flies under the radar when he is playing 15 to 20 minutes per game. That changes when he’s starting and doesn’t open the second half. The Lakers must avoid all that noise and bring LaRavia off the bench. He just isn’t consistent enough to start on a title contender.
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