After losing four straight games, the Los Angeles Lakers are back down to fifth place in the Western Conference.
Injuries to several key contributors, including LeBron James, have left head coach JJ Redick with a short-handed rotation. With a tough slate of road games against the Celtics, Nets, Bucks, and the Nuggets, the team wasn’t able to overcome the significant absences.
Starting against the Suns on Sunday, the Lakers now have a five-game home slate, in which they expect LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Jaxson Hayes to all return.
While Hayes’ return may not seem too important on paper, it will be a big game-changer for the Lakers, who have struggled immensely since he has been out with a right knee contusion.
The main reason for this has been his replacement Alex Len’s poor performance.
Alex Len Has Been a Major Disappointment Since Joining the Lakers
Len was installed into the starting lineup over the last three games, playing a total of 44 minutes. The Lakers lost these minutes by a total of 27 points.
He had four points on 2/6 shooting in that span without making an impact on either end of the floor.
This has been a problem for the Lakers ever since Len was signed after the trade deadline.
In his 12.1 minutes per game in seven appearances, Len has shot 36.4% from the field, averaging 1.1 points and 2.7 rebounds. He has not gone to the free-throw line once and only has two blocks.
Perhaps most importantly, the team defense in his minutes has been a total disaster. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers have allowed 133.8 points per 100 possessions in his minutes. This would easily be the worst defensive rating ever in the NBA for a full season.
For reference, the Lakers allow 113.4 points per 100 possessions when Len is not on the court.
While it’s true that the Lakers don’t have many options at center, it’s obvious that Len isn’t the solution, especially in the playoffs.
He has to be out of the postseason rotation due to his defensive shortcomings and lack of versatility. Redick is likely better off playing small-ball lineups with the likes of Jarred Vanderbilt, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Rui Hachimura at center, regardless of the opponent.
