Lakers power rankings: How the players compare halfway through the season

The Los Angeles Lakers are 21-21 through the first 42 games of the season, meaning the team is officially past the midway point of the 2021-22 campaign.

The Lakers currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, which would again put them in the play-in tournament, just like last season.

This start isn’t what Los Angeles envisioned over the summer, but multiple factors have led to this point.

LeBron James was in and out of the lineup early in the season but has since scored 30 points in 11 of the last 12 games. Anthony Davis hasn’t played in about four weeks with an MCL sprain. Russell Westbrook has hit a new low recently, and his fit continues to be in question. The list goes on.

Similar to how LeBron Wire ranked the team after 20 games, this will be the latest edition of how the players stand among one another. Kendrick Nunn does not make this list since he hasn’t made his debut yet.

Let’s start with No. 14:

14. DeAndre Jordan

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

He began the season as the starting center and has since rendered himself unplayable. The Lakers are hoping to unload him in a trade, which summarizes how his season has gone.

13. Kent Bazemore

Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

From the starting small forward to now just playing garbage-time minutes, Kent Bazemore is in the same boat as Jordan. The Lakers also reportedly want to move on from Bazemore, which is unfortunate because he could’ve really helped this squad in the new small-ball lineups. However, his form in the last few seasons has not been a reality this year.

12. Wayne Ellington

(AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

The first two were easy to rank, but it gets a little more tricky from here. Wayne Ellington hasn’t necessarily been unplayable or bad this year; he just hasn’t lived up to expectations. A 38.6% clip from deep on 5.0 attempts is far from bad, but he hasn’t been involved in the lineup as much as expected. A good portion of that comes down to his defensive decline, as the Lakers allow 3.8 more points with him on the floor, ranking in the 23rd percentile, via Cleaning the Glass.

11. Trevor Ariza

(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

There are only eight games of data on Trevor Ariza, and most of it is without Anthony Davis. The vision for him is to be the 3 or 4 when Davis is operating at the 5, with LeBron alongside him. The Lakers haven’t been able to run those units yet, but it’s promising to see Ariza hit 46.7% of his 3s even though it’s on low volume. The less time he’s playing at center or guarding big 4s, the better.

10. Talen Horton-Tucker

(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

What is Talen Horton-Tucker? Is there enough potential to extract? Is he worth keeping for a shot at a title? The Lakers are still trying to answer this question. Horton-Tucker had a promising three-game stretch right out of the gate when he averaged 23.3 points, but he hit a long slump after that. He’s recently found confidence in his game, but his shooting numbers need more consistent improvement if he is ever to become a primary weapon for this team. Staggering him in lineups so he’s not sharing the floor with Westbrook could be a way to get more out of his creative abilities, too.

9. Dwight Howard

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Dwight Howard’s value to this team significantly rose in recent weeks when the team tried to go full small-ball without Davis. The Lakers often got out-rebounded on both sides of the court, and Howard came on to solve the mess. He’s not someone the Lakers should give heavy minutes to, but he’s definitely playable in small stints. The Lakers could still get good stuff from him and Davis playing together in certain lineups similar to how the team won the title in 2019-20.

8. Stanley Johnson

(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Stanley Johnson is technically not on the roster since he’s only been on 10-day contracts. But it’s not possible to tell the Lakers’ story this season without including his introduction to the team on Christmas against the Brooklyn Nets. Johnson still isn’t a reliable threat from deep, but he brings the size, toughness, energy and intensity on a daily basis that has seemed irreplaceable for this team. He also gives you defensive versatility and a big body that can keep up laterally with the league’s faster players, which will help the team even more when Davis returns. Johnson is definitely one of the standouts for L.A. this entire campaign and deserves a spot in this ranking.

7. Avery Bradley

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Avery Bradley turned it around in December after starting slow the first two months. His form as a 3-and-D guard led to the Lakers guaranteeing his contract for the remainder of the season, and his importance to the team came to the forefront when he was in health and safety protocol. He’s been hovering around the 40% clip from 3-point range as well, and his ability to make timely cuts to open up the defense has been instrumental.

6. Carmelo Anthony

(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Carmelo Anthony’s shooting percentages have dipped since his blistering hot start, but he was always going to come back down to earth at some point. But he’s still managed to keep his 3-point percentage in the high 30s, which is crucial for the Lakers’ small-ball lineups, though Anthony isn’t an ideal fit at the 5 in certain looks. Still, to produce the way he’s producing at 37 years old off the bench (13.2 points per game) is a huge lift to this squad.

5. Russell Westbrook

Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook’s fit was the primary concern when he arrived in L.A. this summer, and those concerns are still spearheading the dialogues surrounding this team. His recent poor shooting stretch has taken the criticism to a new level, but he’s still capable of producing in other areas. The key for him and the Lakers is to figure out the best placement for him in the rotation. Unless things change, he does not look like the player he once was, barring a major turnaround stretch like he had last season with the Washington Wizards.

4. Austin Reaves

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

To be a 23-year-old undrafted rookie fighting for a spot in the rotation among countless experienced veterans is certainly one immense challenge. But Austin Reaves has stood out from the pack, and he belongs in the rotation more than most of the vets. That’s mainly due to his underrated two-way prowess. He can hold his own defensively more than his fellow guards and wings, and his competence on offense to stick to his strengths and find ways to support the stars has drawn praise from those exact stars. He’s legit been one of the best players on the Lakers this season, but it’s up in the air if that’s a good or bad thing.

3. Anthony Davis

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

While Davis hasn’t lived up to expectations so far this season, his numbers are still relatively strong. He’s posting 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in 35.4 minutes per game on 52.1% shooting. His recent absence due to an MCL sprain has also put a brighter-than-usual spotlight on his significance to this roster. He plays a major role in shaping Los Angeles’ defensive identity, and the Lakers don’t have a path to the title this year without his presence.

2. Malik Monk

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Malik Monk took Davis’ spot at No. 2 because of the stretch he’s had while the star big man has been sidelined. Since he’s returned from health and safety protocol, he’s scored over 15 points in eight of nine games. He topped 20 points six times, including a season-high 29 points to beat the Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers would likely not have won four games in a row recently if his offensive burst didn’t transpire, and he’s formed a sneaky good two-man game with LeBron that could open the playbook further when Davis returns. Monk, for his contract at the veteran minimum, has been one of the best signings of any team this summer. Let’s see if he can maintain this form.

1. LeBron James

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The King is still No. 1, which isn’t a surprise. His versatility has elevated to a new level this season as he now frequently operates at the 5 spot. Like assistant coach David Fizdale said recently, James has mastered positionless basketball. The Lakers started 5-0 recently with James starting at center, and though losses have accrued since, the small-ball lineups helped L.A. create an identity that hadn’t been created yet. He’s making history all across the board at 37 years old, and his scoring stretch of 11 of 12 games with at least 30 points is just insane to ponder. He’s averaging 29.1 points per game this season, the most since 2007 when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As long as he’s on the court, the Lakers have a chance at winning. L.A. just needs to increase the pace it is winning at to optimize James’ absurd play.

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