From “jack of all trades and loose of none” to Mr. Key! Laravia responds to external doubts with all-around performance

Translator's Note: The original article was published in The Athletic. The data in the article are as of the time of the original article (November 3, local time). The dates and times involved are all local times.

When NBA scouts discuss the league's players at the table in the press conference room, specific details are often at the core of the discussion. Can a player shoot a basketball? Will he defend? Is his athleticism top-notch? Strong? Smart? Tough? That's what they want to know.

The focus of these conversations is to figure out a player's strengths and weaknesses.

Last season, when Jack Laravia was likely to change teams, scouts from multiple NBA teams made similar criticisms.

They want to know, what is Laravia's "unique skill"? What makes him different? What are his signature traits that make him stand out from the crowd of potential signings?

Before the Lakers' home game on Sunday, scouts were still thinking about the same question. They described Laravia as a player who is good at everything but loose at none. After four quarters, the Lakers' top free agent prospect scored 25 points, and those questions were answered. Laravia's style of play is a perfect fit for this team - he's good enough in every aspect the team needs.

In the Lakers' 130-120 victory over the Heat, Laravia once again proved his consistent performance since the beginning of this season. Maybe being a versatile basketball player isn't so bad after all, especially on a team with high-level scorers like Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves. Perhaps being better than average in many ways is a more valuable trait than it sounds.

And perhaps when JJ Redick said after Sunday's game that Laravia "just knows how to play," it was one of the highest compliments a coach can give to his players.

"He just has a very good sense of the ball," Redick said when praising LaRavia's mastery of details. "His sense of the ball as a defender. His sense of the ball as a rebounder. He has a keen intuition for the game."

To be fair, when the shooting touch is hot, the game will naturally flow smoothly. In the past three games, Laravia made 25 of 32 shots and scored a total of 65 points. His 10-for-11 shooting performance at the Timberwolves' home court had fans and Anthony Edwards asking curiously, "Who's No. 12?" At the Grizzlies' home court, he had to rub salt into the wounds of a team that drafted him but then declined to exercise the fourth-year option on him. And on Sunday, when Doncic and Reeves missed more shots than they made, it was guys like Laravia who stepped up and helped the team to its fifth win in the last six games.

"I stress every time I talk to the media, it's very easy to play with Luka and AR (Reeves)," Laravia said. "A lot of my scoring has come from outrunning the defense in transition, just running harder than the opponent. force, then make those dunks or layups, and then hit those catch-and-shoot three-pointers when the opportunity arises."

Laravia quickly understands where he can get the most space, and he has proven that he won't fall in the same place twice.

Last week, in the Lakers' away game against the Kings, Laravia had the opportunity to help Reeves get his 10th assist of the game - which could have helped his teammates get a double-double. But instead of choosing a strong dunk in the transition attack, he hesitated and chose a casual layup. As a result, Dennis Schroeder caught up and slapped him away.

"Never again. That's not going to happen again," LaRavia said when the play was brought up Sunday. "I heard it from every player and staff member. So now, any chance I get, I'm going to dunk."

LaRavia had three dunks against the Heat on Sunday, including a left-handed dunk over Heat shot-blocker Krell Ware.

"I think this is the first time I've dunked with my left hand in a long time," Laravia said. "I just saw the line of breakthrough and I attacked it very aggressively, and he took off a little late."

It's not surprising that Laravia can seize the opportunity. After all, he knows how to play.

"I think that's one of the most underrated traits a player can have - knowing where to be and when to be there," Reeves said. "He hasn't been here long, but he understands rotations, understands every play, just all those little details. Most of the time, he makes the right call. Knows when to cut and when not to. Those are things a lot of people in basketball don't have. Simple details that he noticed."

"He has done a great job in these aspects, which is probably one of the biggest reasons why he is here and joining this team today."

Although it is not a one-for-one replacement, the team only used a two-year, $12 million contract at the beginning of the free market to get Laravia, a talented role player who undoubtedly knows how to play.

After Finney-Smith left the team to join the Rockets, the Lakers used their mid-level exception and two-year exception in the free market. They quickly signed Laravia, who was the first player the team contacted after free agency officially opened. They used the midlevel exception on him and center Deandre Ayton, who was playing well before missing the last game and a half with back spasms. They then used the biennial exception to sign Marcus Smart, who once again ignited the Lakers' defense with several dynamic performances..

Whether all three of Rob Pelinka's operations this season will ultimately be successful is far from certain. But for now, he should be able to take some comfort in knowing that these signings don't leave him in a passive position.

Laravia's game on Sunday - he also added eight rebounds and four steals - was in many ways an ideal performance for a player who has been unable to consistently perform at a high level in all aspects. (If he had continued to perform like this, the Lakers simply couldn't afford to sign him.)

But Laravia, who just turned 24 on Monday, can usually make a positive contribution in at least one area, and it's often where the Lakers need it most.

On Sunday, when Doncic and Reeves were having trouble shooting, Laravia happened to contribute in scoring. Although the Lakers' leading scorers missed a total of 26 goals, the team's final shooting percentage still exceeded 50%.

"Honestly, if AR and I could have made some shots, I think we could have scored about 150 points." Doncic said after the game.

What is encouraging is that on a night when the core players were in poor condition, the Lakers still found a way to win. And after seven games of the season, they also realized that they could count on Laravia to make key contributions to the team's victory.

"He just had another great game. He played very calmly and let the game flow. He was very comfortable off the ball, cutting and reading the game," Redick said. "I'm not surprised that he was able to play so calmly because I played against him as a coach last year and watched him. One of the few on-court performances in the first few years of his career."

"He has a high basketball IQ. He is very solid in many aspects, and I think he is a good complement to our core players, and he is playing a star-level performance in his role now, which is great."

This is the most important evaluation of Laravia.

Author: Dan Woike

Translator: GWayNe

Mini-game recommendations:Glam And Glossy