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Jake LaRavia #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers
If you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan frustrated by some of the unsightly play the team has gotten out of forward Jake LaRavia going back to the NBA All-Star break, don’t fret. You’re not alone. In fact, coach JJ Redick has seen LaRavia struggle to the point where he felt he had to tell him to his face just how bad he’s been.
Said Redick: “I think it was the Denver game and whatever the game before that, which has seemed so long ago, and I told him he was awful. He played terribly in both games, on both ends, and he’s responded like he always does throughout the season.”
The Denver game was back on March 5, when LaRavia played only 10 minutes, was 1-for-6 shooting and 0-for-3 from the 3-point line. He was a minus-16 in that game. He had five points in 14 minutes in the previous game, a Lakers win over the Pelicans.
Jake LaRavia Shooting 38.7% Since All-Star
In all, LaRavia’s struggles with his shot have been obvious since coming back from the break, which is when he was moved back to the bench from the starting lineup. He is averaging 5.8 points on 38.7% shooting and 25.0% 3-point shooting, down from 9.5 points on 46.5% shooting and 32.6% 3-point shooting.
But Redick said his impact on both ends of the floor has been a lot more positive for the lakers lately, even if the shooting is still wobbly.
“Starting coming back from the All-Star break; he’s been exemplary in his role,” Redick said. “The things we’re asking him to do, he’s doing them at a high level. He’s played great, he’s a guy we have a lot of confidence in when he gets open catch and shoot threes, we have a lot of confidence when he plays in transition, when he plays on closeouts.”
Indeed, during the Lakers’ ongoing four-game winning streak, LaRavia has been a consistent positive in the box score–he has been a plus-13 three times, and plus-8 once.
Lakers Need Bench Scoring
Still, the Lakers would like to get some more oomph out of LaRavia, even when he is coming off the bench. He has yet to top double figures scoring in seven March games, but ideally, he would be one of the team’s top bench scoring options.
“When he gets to double digits, which he has done often this season, it’s such a bonus and lift,” Redick said. “He’s been great with his physicality, his rebounding, his crashing, his disruption on defense, as the season’s progressed, even his on-ball defense has been getting better, so he’s just been great for us.”
The numbers bear that out. The Lakers are 18-9, with a 66.7 win percentage, when LaRavia goes for 10 or more points. They’re 23-16 (58.9%) when he does not.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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