Ratings for LeBron James, Anthony Davis in Lakers win vs. Pelicans

It wasn’t easy, but the Lakers extended their winning streak to five by beating the Pelicans on the road 104-99.

Brandon Ingram had a game of his own against his former team, scoring 32 points and pushing Los Angeles to the edge, but they won the game thanks to some clutch shooting from LeBron James down the stretch.

So let’s dive into the victory. As always, ratings are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance of that player.

Anthony Davis

37 minutes, 31 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 12-20 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-7 FT, +2

Are 30-point games the new normal for AD? If yes, sign me up. In a game where the Lakers struggled to crash the boards and produce offensively, Davis was able to do both very well. He had 31 points and 14 rebounds and did so on a back-to-back while dealing with an eye injury and plantar fasciitis. AD was world class and a big reason why the Lakers won on the road.

Grade: A

LeBron James

37 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 8-19 FG, 2-7 3PT, 3-5 FT, +1

LeBron had a fun game on Saturday, going scoreless in the first and third quarters but scoring 10 in the second and 11 in the fourth.

This was definitely a game where James sleepwalked in large portions, which hurt the team. He had six turnovers and his defense fluctuated from poor to non-existent.

However, he reminded everyone in the clutch that he is still that guy. He hit back-to-back threes to turn a one-point deficit into a four-point advantage.

The Lakers never trailed again and won the game because of those late heroics. So while a more balanced game from James is desired and ideal, he was ultimately fantastic when it mattered most.

Grade: B+

Dalton Knecht

37 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 10-17 FG, 5-10 3PT, 2-2 FT, +11

Since the Lakers kept their 2024 first-round pick, they needed to draft an impact player. Dalton Knecht is just that, and Saturday’s game is another example of why.

He went nuclear from deep, converted on five 3-pointers, finished strong near the rim with a nice two-handed jam and finished the night with a career-high 27 points. Knecht did a good job of crashing down with seven rebounds and was respectable defensively.

This was his second start, but the more Knecht plays, the better he looks. It looks like the Lakers have worked out the shooting game they’ve been looking for.

Grade: A+

Max Christie

30 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, +1

After a great game on Friday against the Spurs, Christie had an average game against the Pelicans. The defensive effort was great and he was a positive overall, but he struggled to shoot and went 1-6 from the field.

During this short road trip, Christie has shown that he deserves more playing time, but his case for returning to the rotation wouldn’t include a lot of film from this game.

Grade: C+

Austin Reaves

41 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3-15 FG, 2-9 3PT, 2-2 FT, +9

It was a tough shooting night for Reaves on Saturday. He still influenced the win with his passing and even when he misses, he keeps taking good shots. You expect more from Reaves at this point though, especially with key players out.

Grade: C-

D’Angelo Russell

21 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, +9

Russell was respectable in his role against the Pelicans. He didn’t take many shots and had some quality minutes in the first half, which calmed the team down as they struggled offensively.

He scored a team-high seven points off the bench.

Grade: C

Gabe Vincent

22 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, -9

Vincent should no longer get rotation minutes on this team. Los Angeles struggles to score off the bench and he provides no offense. He has a desire to be good defensively, but his size makes him less effective on that side of the ball than Christie.

What Vincent brings does not justify what he lacks. Lakers coach JJ Redick has done a good job of making changes when needed, but benching Vincent is long overdue.

Grade: F

Christian Koloko

11 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, +3

What’s not to love about Koloko’s game on Saturday? He protected the rim well, had a nice block, was aggressive on the boards and made three field goals in his 11 minutes of play.

Koloko has had very little time to get ready for action after the NBA medically cleared him to play, and he’s done far better than anyone expected.

Grade: A

Armel Traore

With the Lakers down 23-14, Redick went to Traore to see what he could give. He played just four minutes, so no grade, given how little there is to judge during that time.

Traore airballed a 3-pointer, which was tough, but again, it was just a shift during a tough spot in the game.

JJ Redick

Minus my distaste for every minute Vincent plays, Redick was good on Saturday. He had the courage to go with a new starting five and worked very well on his bench. His timeouts were made in moments when they were needed.

The challenge he made early on made no sense and the technical foul he received can be seen as a negative. However, it seemed more like something he did to get calls for his team.

Grade: A-

Saturday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Maxwell Lewis

Saturday’s inactives: Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Quincy Olivari, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.