{"id":347773,"date":"2025-11-01T10:41:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T10:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347773\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T10:41:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T10:41:11","slug":"grades-for-luka-doncic-austin-reaves-in-lakers-win-over-grizzlies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347773\/","title":{"rendered":"Grades for Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves, in Lakers win over Grizzlies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luka Don\u010di\u0107 returned to the court on Friday<\/a>, and he dominated once again. He scored 44 points and helped the Lakers win their first NBA Cup game of the year.<\/p>\n

The Lakers\u2019 offense slowed down in the second quarter, but they responded well after halftime. With Luka going berserk, they were able to win easily in Memphis.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s dive into the win<\/a>. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A \u201cB\u201d grade represents the average performance for that player.<\/p>\n

39 minutes, 44 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers, 3 fouls, 14-27 FG, 6-15 3PT, 10-13 FT, -2<\/p>\n

Luka was in complete control in this game. He was scoring with ease, making pretty passes and jawing with the Grizzlies bench late into the contest.<\/p>\n

The biggest issue was some early turnovers, but that was likely just Luka getting the rust off after missing a few games. Overall, he has been stupendous and is looking like an MVP candidate.<\/p>\n

36 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-14 FG, 2-8 3PT, 9-9 FT, +15<\/p>\n

Reaves was quiet for moments and struggled with his shot on Friday night.<\/p>\n

However, Austin is a good player and knows how to make a positive impact when the ball isn\u2019t going through the hoop. He had four assists and was a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line.<\/p>\n

No, this wasn\u2019t a 51-point game for Reaves<\/a> or anything close to that level, but it was a solid showing.<\/p>\n

38 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 2-4 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT, +7<\/p>\n

Hachimura had one great 3-pointer, but overall, he was mediocre in this one. The Lakers need more offense from him and that starts with Hachimura being more aggressive.<\/p>\n

These kinds of nights can\u2019t be commonplace if he wants to remain a starter.<\/p>\n

17 minutes, 9 points, 1 turnover, 4-6 FG, 1-1 FT, -17<\/p>\n

Ayton tweaked his back during the second quarter on an alley-oop and did not return to play. Postgame, Ayton said he could\u2019ve returned, and head coach JJ Redick said he didn\u2019t play him in the fourth because he \u201cdidn\u2019t want to risk it.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Ayton seems to believe he\u2019ll play on Sunday at home against the Heat. During his two quarters of play tonight, he was scoring well inside the paint before his game was cut short.<\/p>\n

35 minutes, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +12<\/p>\n

In Smart\u2019s return, he was good. He didn\u2019t have any spectacular plays or highlight-worthy try-hard moments, but he scored well, grabbed some boards and distributed the ball.<\/p>\n

23 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 5-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-3 FT, -4<\/p>\n

If LaRavia continues to play this well, soon we\u2019ll see Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka giving interviews and discussing how to hit on free agents.<\/p>\n

LaRavia was a monster in the team\u2019s win over the Wolves<\/a>, and his encore was enjoyable. He shot the ball well and brought some much-needed energy off the bench.<\/p>\n

14 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 foul, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, +9<\/p>\n

Vando had a block, an emphatic dunk in the fourth and did his Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil work all night. He was an irritant to the Grizzlies, and now that he\u2019s healthy, he is a must-play player.<\/p>\n

15 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, -10<\/p>\n

Knecht has had some nice games<\/a> as of late, but this performance in Memphis wasn\u2019t nearly as impressive. That\u2019s not to say it was bad. He scored fine and contributed well on offense and tried on defense.<\/p>\n

With so many players out, though, Knecht should be scoring in double figures. Still, he was respectable and hopefully, he continues to improve during November.<\/p>\n

23 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 1-2 FG, 0-2 FT, +15<\/p>\n

Credit to Hayes for stepping up with Ayton out and playing more in the second half. His scoring wasn\u2019t present, but his rebounding and passing were huge in this game.<\/p>\n

He ended the night with a plus-minus of +15, tied for the best on the Lakers with Reaves.<\/p>\n

If Ayton can\u2019t play on Sunday, Hayes has proven he can handle that workload, at least for a game or two.<\/p>\n

Redick was smart not to play Ayton in the second half. He was cautious, trusted Hayes and it worked. Starting Smart was also a good move and the rotations made sense. When his team struggled in the second quarter, they came out strong in the third and regained control. Redick continues to win despite the numerous injuries and challenges that come with that.<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s DNPs:<\/strong> Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.
Friday\u2019s inactives: <\/strong>LeBron James, Maxi Kleber, Adou Thiero, Gabe Vincent<\/p>\n

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88<\/a> or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n