Los Angeles Lakers: Grades for every player so far this season
By Keith Rivas
Julius Randle’s place might surprise some people
Julius Randle, B+
Not everyone can get an A, but Julius Randle can get about as close as possible right now. After being delegated to a bench role, Randle was not happy with that plan moving forward but hasn’t let it stop him from producing.
If it weren’t for the funk he can get in sometimes with his emotions, he might be a much better player. However, the Lakers have found a way to get some bang for their buck by having Randle come in with the second unit.
It’s not that Randle has done anything extraordinary on the stat sheet, but rather that he’s been able to stay remarkably consistent despite losing his starting role for the time being.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, B
Brought in to help defensively with Lonzo Ball being a rookie and all, KCP has made a nice transition to Los Angeles from Detroit. He wasn’t supposed to be anything fantastic, but really rather a fill-in at shooting guard while the franchise figures out what direction it wants to move in with regards to that position.
He’s spending over 34 minutes per game on the floor, showing endurance, if anything. And as a veteran on the team, that is important and worth noting. Hard to say that the Lakers will stick with him past this season if a better opportunity arises to grab somebody else at the two.
But coming in on a one-year deal worth $17 million isn’t too bad, either.
Brook Lopez, B-
Again, like KCP, he was brought to Los Angeles more out of necessity than anything else. His time with the Lakers hasn’t been terrible, but let’s not pretend like the front office thought they were getting Shaq.
At the end of the day, Lopez was the big part coming to the Lakers before they knew what they’d be getting in Kuzma with the draft pick as additional compensation for Russell. He spends the least time on the floor out of anybody in the starting lineup, with 23 minutes per game, and averages nearly two blocks per game, leading the team in that category.
Pretty much all you can ask for — but again, after this season is when the Lakers will really evaluate if Lopez is their long-term solution. Or at least the best one that they can figure out for the time being.