The Los Angeles Lakers were dominated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1, and it immediately became clear that Jake LaRavia can’t play in this series. He hit a three-pointer in the final seconds for his only points, but the game was decided. LaRavia had two turnovers and took an ill-advised shot in his first run. The problems continued a season-long trend in this matchup.
The 6’7 forward averaged 6.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block in 24.6 minutes per game in the four regular season meetings against OKC. The numbers don’t seem bad, but he shot just 25.8 percent from the field and turned it over five times. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles by 52 points in his 98 minutes on the floor.
Oklahoma City is an aggressive team that thrives off turnovers. They exploited the Lakers' biggest flaw without Luka Doncic in Game 1. LA’s turnovers, shooting, and bench play were problems. JJ Redick should be eager to make changes, and the most obvious is axing LaRavia from the rotation.
Jake LaRavia can’t be part of the Lakers' rotation against the Thunder
LaRavia finished with three points, one rebound, one steal, one block, and two turnovers in Game 1. He made one of his two shots as the Thunder outscored the Lakers by nine in his 14 minutes on the floor.
This is the worst possible matchup for the 6’7 forward. His versatility made him an outstanding signing, but he can’t handle the ball well enough to stave off the defending champion’s ball pressure. The Thunder have him throwing up wild shots or turning the ball over.
LaRavia only played four minutes in the first half because the problems were instantly clear. Jarred Vanderbilt’s gruesome finger injury was another shot to LA’s depth. The Thunder are the deepest team in the NBA. Redick can’t just play his starters. He needs options off the bench. With Vanderbilt out and LaRavia unplayable, there is not much to be excited about. The Lakers need Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes to step up.
Los Angeles shot 33 percent from 3-point range and had 17 turnovers in Game 1. They finished with 90 points. Those are unacceptable numbers in Oklahoma City. The defending champs shot 43 percent, had three fewer turnovers, and won by 18. The Lakers can’t afford mistakes in this series, but they made plenty of them.
JJ Redick has to remove Jake LaRavia from the Lakers' rotation. He has struggled in all five matchups against the Thunder and was part of disastrous bench production in the second-round series opener. LA’s margin for error is slim. They just can’t have LaRavia taking ill-advised shots, turning the ball over, and creating transition chances for OKC.
The Los Angeles Lakers are in a difficult spot without Luka Doncic. They need virtually flawless execution to defeat the Thunder. LaRavia simply can’t offer that. His future is bright. He’s on a bargain contract and is a solid role player, but not in this matchup. Redick has to glue him to the bench if the Lakers want any chance to win this series. It is a bold but necessary move. Hopefully, coach Redick makes it ahead of Game 2.
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