2019-20 Lakers Postseason Grades

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: B

I don't want to admit it but KCP played to the absolute best of his ability in this series. He did exactly what he was asked to do and knocked down shots everytime the pressure came to him. I'm not a KCP fan by any means, but I acknowledge great role-playing when I see it.

Alex Caruso: B+

How does Alex Caruso never run out of energy? This is a question that should be pondered by us, our children, and our children's children. Caruso is a mad man in the court, he's everywhere he needs to be and more. A true hustle player in its purest form. This is the guy who swings series, builds momentum, and puts title teams over the edge. I can't say enough about Alex Caruso. He's more than a meme, he's a champion. If I was betting on it, I'd say this isn't the last time he'll be one.

Anthony Davis: A+

AD's first true playoff run and subsequent Finals appearance couldn't have gone better for the generational big man. He established himself as the best two way player in the game on the biggest stage. His imposing physical presence in the paint was especially noticeable during the Finals as the notoriously fearless Miami Heat were noticeably hesitant to drive and often settled for contested jumpshots as opposed to challenging the Brow. The spotlight was finally placed on Davis and he delivered. A+.

Danny Green: C

I hate that Danny Green's 2020 Finals performance is going to be defined by his missed game winner and nothing else. He executed on both ends throughout the series and leaned into the roleplayer role that he's played his entire career on successful teams. That being said, the missed 3 was inexcusable and for that alone he drops from a B to a C.

Dwight Howard: D

The popular media narrative that Dwight finally turned his career around and accepted a new role is phony to say the least. Did he relinquish a consistent starting spot and bank-breaking salary? Sure. But he did so for a LeBron James led team, almost ensuring some form of postseason success. Call me crazy, but I don't find it impressive to take a pay cut for the privilege of playing alongside the greatest player of all time and a generational big man. That plus the fact that he was out-rebounded by most of his smaller and less athletic teammates gets you a disappointing grade.

LeBron James: A+

It's fitting that basketball's greatest player has won a title in basketball's craziest year. Describing his Finals performance as just a win is disrespectful to what might be his greatest series ever. The King averaged 30/12/8 while shooting a ludicrous 60% from the floor. The way I see it, LeBron was one Danny Green shot away from becoming the consensus NBA GOAT after his 40pt explosion in what could've been a Game 5 closeout. The entirety of Game 5 is among the numerous masterpieces of James' career and it's a shame that it wasn't followed up with his coronation. We tend to get lost in the hypotheticals of sports while forgetting the pillars that remain constant. LeBron James has remained the pillar of sports culture since 2003 and if 2020 has told us anything, it's that he's not leaving anytime soon.

Kyle Kuzma: D-

A D- might seem a bit harsh for Kuzma but I have my reasoning. If you think Kuzma was good in this series, I challenge you to recall one good play he made on either end during the six games. Just one. Sure, naming individual plays might be an arbitrary method of determining a player's performance, but it goes to my larger point of Kuzma's overwhelming invisibility throughout the entire NBA Finals. While he was asked to play a reduced role consisting of mainly catch and shoot threes and the occasional basket cut, he still didn't execute as well as he should have given his well established talent. His place on the team is near identical to that of KCP, Danny Green, or Caruso but yet Kuzma finds a way to be the least impactful of them all. Say what you will about KCP, he was excellent in this Finals series and did exactly what he was asked to do and more. Green and Caruso both struggled offensively but were able to lean back on their defense and hustle plays. Kuzma can't do that, leaving a championship legacy of moping on the baseline anticipating a pass like a socially awkward teenager not knowing where to sit on his first day. Do better, Kyle.

Markieff Morris: C

From now on, Markieff will be known as 'The Good Morris'. That name suits him perfectly as that's all he is. Good. Markieff isn't going to alter the trajectory of his team or another's. I'd say the same about Marcus, but at least he made an attempt to alter another team's course when he deliberately stepped on Luka's ankle in Round 1. Never forget.

Rajon Rondo: A

I get tired of the presumptuous labels we apply to certain players after a good stretch, implying that they're some kind of different player under given circumstances. As fun as Untucked Kyrie or Hoodie Melo can be, we acknowledge that they're more of a joke than anything. That being said, Playoff Rondo is real and it's spectacular. He consistently reaches another level of his already high intensity and effort come playoff time and that continued into 2020. Rondo was the Lakers' long awaited 3rd star when they needed him most and his playmaking ability provided them an infinitely valuable cushion when LeBron was off the court. Rondo was better than any of us could've ever expected and cemented his place among the great intellectual athletes in history.

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