Yahoo Movies Los Angeles Lakers scouting reports
The Los Angeles Lakers remain loaded with talent at the top of their depth chart with some decent-to-good role players filling out the rest of the rotation.
Below, check out our scouting reports for the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Great athleticism… Very strong… A physically superior player… Can pretty much score at will when he drives to the basket… Excellent vision of the court… Superb ballhandling skills… Can play the point… Can play the power forward spot too… Great coordination… Great finisher… Still runs the floor well… Able to hit incredible shots… Gets lots of steals and blocks… Average three-point and free-throw shooter… Picks his spots to be dominant at this point in his career… In the discussion for best player ever.
For even more detailed info on LeBron James
Russell Westbrook
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Once a superior athlete… Very quick and explosive… Great first step… Got to the basket like very few others… A lot of competitive fire… A fast break waiting to happen… Can be a good defender when he’s into it… Pretty good with the stop-and-pop mid-range jumper… Does not always make good decisions… Bad three-point shooter… Turnover prone… Has lost a step… Is he willing to change his game?
For even more detailed info on Russell Westbrook
Anthony Davis
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Can be dominant in both offense and defense… One the top defensive players in the game when healthy… Great finisher at the rim… Perfect instincts as a shot blocker… Has added a respectable three-point shot… Can shoot from outside, but not very efficiently lately… Shouldn’t fall in love with his jumper too much… Can run the court, but maybe not as fast as before… Not as fluid of an athlete as he once was… Too injury-prone… Average passing skills for an elite big man nowadays.
For even more detailed info on Anthony Davis
Patrick Beverley
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It’s going to be a long night when you have to play him… Super intense player who’s among the best defensive point guards in the last decade… Can guard much bigger players… Plays mind games… Not much of an offensive threat, but has hit threes at a respectable rate in his career … That has gone out the window this year so far … Efficiency has dropped off due to age, but still somewhat impactful… Not afraid to get in teammates’ faces to get the best out of them… Has a reputation as a dirty player.
For even more detailed info on Patrick Beverley
Lonnie Walker
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Came into the league as an explosive guard with elite athleticism… Has settled more as a volume perimeter shooter… Not as proficient off the dribble… Feel for the game is not that great… Has the wingspan and agility to be effective defensively but has yet to showcase it.
Kendrick Nunn
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Undersized at 6-foot-2… Makes up for it with confidence and skillset… Not lightning fast, but has the ability to get to the rim with crafty and shifty movements… Left-hand dominant but that’s an advantage against opponents… Ability to shoot threes off the dribble and catch and shoot with ease… Comfortable with the ball in hands to create offense… Small frame makes his liability on defense… A bit of a slow healer when he gets hurt… Will he return to his pre-injury form?
Damian Jones
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Energy big man with good finishing ability near the basket… Gives solid effort on the glass and as a rim-protector… Not the type of player you can give the ball to and ask to score… Must be spoon-fed, but a solid finisher in that way… Zero shooting threat… Out there to give some energy on both ends and that’s pretty much it.
Wenyen Gabriel
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Floor-spacing forward who can hit three-pointers… Slight of frame so undersized for a power forward but not quite quick enough to play small forward full time… Nevertheless, his shooting is good enough for a role in the NBA… Good pick-and-pop threat with some dribbling ability… Average defender due to agility-related limitations.
Troy Brown
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Playmaker with size on the wing… Underrated as a passer… Adept rebounder for a guard/forward… Solid catch-and-shoot player… Not super explosive off the dribble… Long and broad, which helps him finish in traffic… Jumps into passing lanes to deflect balls and get steals… Good defensive potential… Could potentially blossom into a useful 3-and-D wing.
Thomas Bryant
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Great hands and feel for scoring in the paint… His length and instincts help him there… Used to hold onto the ball too much… But even his passing has gotten better… Some upside… Especially if he can keep hitting threes with a broader sample size… Ineffective defensive player… Doesn’t protect the rim like a player with his size and length should.
For even more detailed info on Thomas Bryant
Dennis Schroeder
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Effective as a starter but even better coming off the bench… Underrated one-on-one scorer… His confidence can be a detriment… His quickness and shiftiness make him a tough cover… Can hit shots off the dribble… Inconsistent from three… Not a great defender by any means… Not much of a team player… Reason he has been on a bunch of teams in the past five seasons.
For even more detailed info on Dennis Schroeder
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
3-and-D swingman type… Plays with a lot of energy and confidence… Confidence doesn’t totally reflect his ability… Willing to put his body on the line for loose balls and extra possessions… Very streaky as a shooter… Role player who can be in and out of the rotation and won’t make a fuss about it.
Matt Ryan
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Lightning quick jumper with a smooth follow through… Can get shots off even over contests … Shoots with a lot of confidence and has a green light to let if fly when he’s on the court… Tries defensively, just doesn’t make much of an impact on that end… Provides little else outside of shooting from beyond the arc.
Austin Reaves
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Great size and length for a combo guard at 6-foot-5… Confident and aggressive as a scorer and playmaker… Can get to the bucket or set up teammates with some pizzazz… Lacks the elite athleticism or foot speed to be a super high-level scorer… Solid defender who doesn’t let the lack of athleticism deter him from getting stops… Smart finisher out of the pick and roll.
Max Christie
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Potential 3-and-D guy who remains raw and needs time to develop… Former superstar recruit with a five-star rating who disappointed mightily in his lone season at Michigan State… Drafted based on potential… Had three-level scoring potential in high school but hasn’t shown much in the way of efficiency… Will take time to develop but length and scoring ability make him interesting… Lacks elite burst and strength.
Cole Swider
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Combo forward who played at two powerhouse NCAA programs in Villanova and Syracuse… Decent shooting stroke but has a tendency to go hot and cold with his outside shot… Potential as a stretch four who can do some ball-handling and playmaking when called upon to do so… Mediocre athlete with slow feet and poor strength, making him a liability on defense… Will need to lock in with outside shot to carve out a role in the NBA.
Scotty Pippen Jr.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Very good quickness and possesses a strong ability to get to the rim and finish… Potential as a backup point guard down the road… Aggressive scorer… Good strength… Streaky outside shooter who might need to improve with his jumper before he gets his shot in the NBA… Crafty around the cup and using screens to get to his spots… Good playmaker who likes to get teammates easy looks… Needs more effort defensively.
