Players

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Mike Trudell

2023-24 Season SummaryWith 76 games of Anthony Davis (full AD capsule next week!) – anchoring LAL’s big man rotation on both ends of the court, it was up to the remaining bigs on the roster to fit in where they could. Backup centers&nbsp;Jaxson Hayes&nbsp;and&nbsp;Christian Wood&nbsp;found different ways to contribute towards that end, while&nbsp;Rui Hachimura&nbsp;fluctuated between a sometimes-starter, sometimes-reserve role on the wing, while also splitting center minutes when Davis sat or missed time. Hachimura had an effective (13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds in 26.9 minutes) and efficient (53.7% FG’s, 42.2% 3’s) regular season, before struggling some in a tough matchup with Denver in five playoff games (7.8 points, 3.8 boards, 39.5% FG’s, 35.7% 3’s). Hayes didn’t find his role or rhythm until January, when he managed to stop committing the fouls that limited his playing time earlier in the campaign, and unlocked his unique athleticism as a rim runner and lob threat. Wood was effective in several early-season wins, even leading the Lakers in +/- through the first nine games, as his size on defense and spacing on offense helped some big lineups have success. Wood was in and out of the rotation until hurting his left knee, requiring surgery that kept him out from Feb. 14 onward.

By The Numbers:75: Dunks by Hayes, ranking 42nd in the NBA, despite his playing only 877 total minutes, less than any player with more dunks (including Anthony Davis, who had 196 to rank 3rd); 47% of Hayes’ FGA’s were throwdowns, the highest % of any NBA player.10.5: Rebounds per 36 minutes from Wood, ranking second on the Lakers behind Anthony Davis (12.8); Wood was also second in blocks per 36 (1.4).10.3: Percent improvement by Hachimura from his 2022-23 3-point percentage, 31.9%, to 2023-24, when he shot 42.2% to lead the Lakers; Hachimura, a career 37.1% shooter, ranked 5th on the team in average attempts (3.4).

Moving Forward:The Lakers led the Nuggets for around 70% of their Round 1 series, only to drop a pair of games on final-second shots that helped Denver limit LAL to just one win despite how evenly matched it appeared to be. As such, L.A.’s 18-6 regular season record with Rui Hachimura starting next to LeBron and AD in the frontcourt didn’t hold up in that specific matchup. And yet, there is further evidence that Hachimura’s increased playing time was important nonetheless, as he was part of the reason LAL made their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23, after the swing man was acquired from Washington at last year’s trade deadline. Hachimura finished the most recent regular season as a +123, trailing only LeBron, AD and D’Angelo Russell, as a clearly-impactful and key part of the rotation for the next campaign. Meanwhile, Wood picked up his player option for the 2024-25 season, and will look to find more consistency both with his health and shooting (30.7% from 3 in 2023-24, and a career average of 37.2). Hayes has to decide whether to pick up his own option, but the 24-year-old showed encouraging signs that he could be a helpful bench rotation piece moving forward.

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2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: The Bigs

Darius Soriano

The Lakers wing rotation behind LeBron James was headlined by Taurean Prince (49 starts), who turned in a solid campaign while moving between the starting lineup and a reserve role later in the year. Scoring 8.9 points a game, Prince got off to a bit of a slow start as a shooter, but found his stride and finished the year knocking down 39.6% of his three-pointers during the regular season. Defensively, Prince had a heavy ask as a starter, often being deployed on the opposition's top wing scorer, but slotted into a more natural role as a reserve where he was able to defend combo forwards and serve as a supplementary option against team's top talents.

Beyond Prince, the rotation was mired by injury struggles that led to both inconsistent availability and playing time as the coaches leaned more into their guards to boost the team's perimeter production. Jarred Vanderbilt began the preseason as a presumed starter, but began the year on the injured list with bursitis and made just 29 appearances (6 starts) during the regular season, ultimately having his campaign cut ended by a foot sprain in a February 1st win over the Celtics. Similarly, Cam Reddish made just 48 appearances (26 starts) with ankle injuries limiting his ability to suit up and/or finish games.

With both Vanderbilt and Reddish injured, Max Christie was able to make inroads on his overall development and growth as both a shooter and defender but ultimately lost playing time to his more experienced teammates. While rookie Maxwell Lewis spent most of his time in the G-League getting needed reps with the South Bay Lakers.

By The Numbers2108: Number of minutes Prince played this regular season, the 5th-highest mark on the team and making him one of only five Lakers who played over 2,000 minutes for the season. And while this was the 2nd-highest minutes total of his career, Prince was durable throughout, appearing in 78 games, trailing only Austin Reaves (82).

109.4: Defensive rating with Vanderbilt on the floor this season, the best mark on the team of players who played more than 300 minutes. The Lakers sorely missed Vanderbilt's combination of point-of-attack tenacity and back-line rebounding and rim protection over the course of the 53 games he missed due to injury.

13: Number of games Reddish tallied two or more steals, including a season-high of five against the Kings on November 15th. November was a particularly impactful month for Reddish as a ballhawk, as he tallied 24 steals and 45 deflections in the month, the 7th most in each category in the NBA.

Moving Forward: Due to the various contract statuses within this group, there is much uncertainty regarding who will be back in a Lakers uniform next season. Prince heads into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year deal last summer, Reddish has a player option on the 2nd season of his two-year contract he signed last year, and Christie is a restricted free agent after completing the two-year contract he signed after being drafted out of the 2nd round.

As for Vanderbilt and Lewis, both will surely benefit from an offseason to prepare to be contributors next season. Vanderbilt, though cleared medically right before the end of the Lakers 1st round series vs. the Nuggets, can use the offseason to get fully healthy and continue to refine his offensive game in an NBA that continues to value shooting and floor spacing from every position. While Lewis will look to build on his season of development in the G-League and catapult him into the summer where he will surely be a key member of the Lakers summer league squad where he can continue to grow and get some needed reps in.

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2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: Wings

The Lakers backcourt was composed largely of D’Angelo Russell (69 starts) and Austin Reaves (57), a skilled and effective pairing on offense. Both guards had efficient seasons in terms of shooting percentage (Reaves had an eFG% of 58.3%, and Russell 56.0%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (Reaves was 5.5 to 2.1, Russell 6.3 to 2.1). The defensive combination wasn’t as ideal, with Reaves often having to take on a tough perimeter assignment, leading to some lineup experimentation with a wing like Taurean Prince (49 starts), Cam Reddish (26) or Max Christie (7) flanking either Russell or Reaves; Rui Hachimura’s entrance into the starting lineup in February stabilized the group for the remainder of the season (18-6 record). Off the bench, Spencer Dinwiddie provided a two-way boost in 28 games after his trade-deadline acquisition, while Gabe Vincent, expected to play a major role when acquired in the summer, was limited to only 11 games due to a knee injury. No. 17 overall pick Jalen Hood-Schifino totaled just 109 minutes on the season, but averaged 22.0 points and 5.5 assists in 15 games for the South Bay Lakers.

By The Numbers:226: Franchise-record in 3-pointers made by Russell, surpassing the previous high of 183 (Nick Van Exel); Russell’s 41.5% from distance ranked 9thin team history, as his shooting really lifted LAL’s offense.82: Regular season games played by Reaves, plus the IST Final and Play-In game; Reaves was one of only 17 players to play all 82, with two players (Domantas Sabonis and Mikal Bridges) playing more total minutes.26: Season-high in points scored by Dinwiddie, who’d been largely asked to bring a strong defensive presence off the bench, in a 150-145 win over Indiana as LAL made its push to clinch a playoff seed in March.

Moving Forward:The future of LA’s backcourt will start with a decision from Russell, who has a player option on the two-year deal he signed last offseason. Should Russell – who had an overall impressive age 27 campaign including 18.0 points and 6.3 dimes per night – return, either by picking up his option or by signing a new contract, the Lakers can figure out the best way to proceed with him, and already-under-contract Reaves and Vincent. Both Reaves and Vincent should benefit considerably with an extended offseason: Reaves finally has a chance to both get some rest after one of the busiest years of any professional basketball player (2023 WCF trip, Team USA in the offseason, then all 82 games) and also work on his body; and Vincent can get his knee back to 100% and look to return to the form that had him starting for Miami in the 2023 NBA Finals. Dinwiddie is a free agent and can go wherever he wants, but he clearly showed himself to be a helpful player at age 30. Hood-Schifino, meanwhile, turns 21 on June 19. It’ll be a big summer for the 6’5’’ point guard, who will likely feature in LAL’s summer league squad, with a chance to showcase how much he improved playing in the G-League out of the larger Lakers spotlight.

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2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: Guards

Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis was named to the 2023-24 All-NBA Second Team and forward LeBron James was voted to the All-NBA Third Team, the NBA announced today. It is the fifth career All-NBA selection for Davis and second as a Laker. It marks James’ 20th consecutive All-NBA honor, including his sixth as a Laker, and extends his current league record for most all-time selections to 20.&nbsp;

The two recognitions represent the 99th and 100th occasions a Lakers player has earned All-NBA honors in a campaign. Additionally, it marks the 35th time in franchise history Los Angeles has boasted multiple All-NBA honorees in a season, including the second occasion for Davis and James (2019-20). The teammates represent two of 20 total players to earn All-NBA honors while suiting up for the purple and gold.&nbsp;

In his fifth campaign wearing the purple and gold, Davis averaged 24.7 points (55.6 FG%, 81.6 FT%), 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks in a career-high 76 games (all starts). The 31-year-old rounded out the season ranking third in the league in rebounds per game, fourth in blocked shots per contest and 15th in points per outing. Davis racked up 64 double-doubles on the season which ranked third in the NBA, while also adding two triple-double performances. Offensively, Davis scored in double figures in 72 contests, including 58 games with 20+ points, 21 games with 30+ points and three games with 40+ points. He collected double-digit rebounds in 64 contests, including 22 outings with at least 15 boards, two games with at least 20 boards and one 25-rebound performance. Davis blocked multiple shots on 48 occasions, including eight games with five or more rejections and was one of two players in the league to average at least 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game (Victor Wembanyama). For the second consecutive season, the Chicago native led all NBA players in second-chance points per outing (4.5). Highlights for this season included Davis earning his ninth career NBA All-Star selection and being named to the 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive First Team. Additionally, he garnered All-Tournament Team Honors after helping guide the Lakers to the inaugural NBA Cup title in Las Vegas and was named Western Conference Player of the Week on March 25.&nbsp;

Davis was previously named to the All-NBA First Team in 2020, 2018, 2017 and 2015. Overall, the 12-year NBA veteran has appeared in 736 career regular season games (729 starts) with Los Angeles (2019-24) and New Orleans (2012-19), averaging 24.1 points (52.3 FG%, 79.5 FT%), 10.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In his 21st NBA season, James appeared in 71 games (all starts) and averaged 25.7 points (54.0 FG%, 41.0 3FG%, 75.0 FT%), 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.3 minutes, extending his league record of 20 consecutive campaigns averaging 25+ points. The 20-time NBA All-Star became the first player in league history to eclipse 40,000 career points on March 2 versus Denver and extended his NBA-record double-digit scoring streak to 1,222 consecutive regular season games. Adding to his career accolades, James was named the NBA Cup’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 26.4 points (56.8 FG%, 60.6 3FG%, 77.5 FT%), 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals in seven tournament games, leading the Lakers to the title. The 39-year-old recorded 27 double-doubles and five triple-doubles on the season, becoming the only player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his 21st season. He scored 20+ points in 58 games, including 30+ points in 20 contests and 40+ points in three games. James pulled down 10+ rebounds in 14 contests, including a career-high 20-rebound performance on Jan. 27 at Golden State, and dished out 10+ assists in 18 games, a team high.&nbsp;

James is a 13-time All-NBA First Team selection (2020, 2008-18, 2006), three-time All-NBA Second Team honoree (2021, 2007, 2005) and now four-time All-NBA Third Team selection (2024, 2023, 2022, 2019). In 1,492 career regular season games (1,490 starts), the four-time league MVP has averaged 27.1 points (50.6 FG%, 34.8 3FG%, 73.6 FT), 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 37.9 minutes suiting up for the Lakers (2018-24), Cavaliers (2014-18, 2003-10) and Heat (2010-14).&nbsp;

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Anthony Davis and LeBron James Named to 2023-24 All-NBA Teams

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis was named to the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced today. It marks the fifth career all-defensive team honor for the 12-year veteran.

Davis received 60 of 99 first team votes and finished with 151 points to earn his third career NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. He was previously named to the first team following the 2019-20 and 2017-18 seasons and was a second team honoree for his play during the 2016-17 and 2014-15 campaigns.

Joining Davis on the first team are Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama, Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo and New Orleans Pelicans forward-guard Herb Jones.

In 76 regular season contests (all starts) this season, Davis’ career-high 12.6 rebounds per game (9.5 defensive) ranked third in the NBA and his 2.3 blocks per contest ranked fourth. The 31-year-old finished the season as one of just two players to average at least 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks (Victor Wembanyama). Davis registered three+ steals in 11 contests, including a career-best seven thefts versus Minnesota on March 10. He blocked at least five shots in eight contests, including a season-high seven swats at Orlando on Nov. 4. Named an NBA All-Star for the ninth time, Davis recorded the highest defensive rebounding percentage of his career (25.8%). His 11.2 contested shots per game ranked fifth among all league players and his 3.4 contested 3-pointers per game ranked third.

Davis joins Kobe Bryant (nine times), Michael Cooper (five), Jerry West (four), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (three) and Wilt Chamberlain (two) as multiple NBA All-Defensive First Team honorees while wearing the purple and gold.

Players

2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: The Bigs

2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: Wings

2023-24 Lakers Player Capsules: Guards

Anthony Davis and LeBron James Named to 2023-24 All-NBA Teams

Anthony Davis Named to 2023-24 KIA NBA All-Defensive First Team

End-of-Season 2023-24 Interview: LeBron James

End-of-Season 2023-24 Interview: Anthony Davis

End-of-Season 2023-24 Interview: D'Angelo Russell