Down two at home with just over seven minutes left against Memphis - in a game the Lakers couldn’t afford to drop - LeBron James came off a high screen and did what he’s done a thousand times before: fired a cross-court skip pass to the weakside corner. Usually, that spot belongs to Rui Hachimura, a dependable shooter. But with Hachimura sidelined by a calf strain, it was Jake LaRavia filling in - and he made the most of the moment.
LaRavia didn’t hesitate. He attacked the closeout, took it strong to the rim, and finished over a shot blocker. Then, on the other end, he flashed his two-way potential - using his 6’9” wingspan to jump a passing lane, grab a steal, and convert it into points.
In an 82-game season, finding the right starting five is part science, part chemistry experiment. It’s not always about putting the five most talented players on the floor - it’s about finding the right blend.
For the Lakers, four of those pieces are locked in: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. But that fifth spot?
It might just belong to LaRavia now.
“This is kind of when I just talk about roles and the amount of hats that I can wear with this team,” LaRavia said after dropping 21 points on Memphis. “Some nights this is what happens, other nights, I’m that defender, connector, crasher - all that kind of stuff. So, just continuing to play confidently throughout, but also understanding what my role is going to be each game.”
And those hats matter - a lot. Because the Lakers’ starting group with Hachimura in that fifth spot - alongside LeBron, Luka, Reaves, and Ayton - has been a net negative, with a -19.9 rating. That’s not just bad; that’s lineup-in-need-of-a-shakeup bad.
Enter LaRavia, who’s brought a different energy and feel to that role. He’s decisive with the ball - a key trait in a lineup that already features two high-usage stars in LeBron and Luka.
Watch him in action: LeBron draws a double in the post, kicks it to Luka, who swings it to LaRavia. No wasted motion.
He attacks the closeout and finishes. That’s what head coach J.J.
Redick has been preaching all season - 0.5-second decision-making.
“The thing that we’ve tried to really instill and coach him on all season is 0.5 [second] decision making,” Redick said. “Being catch-and-shoot ready. If you are attacking a closeout and you have an advantage, maintain the advantage.”
That kind of quick processing is a must when playing next to stars who command so much attention. And LaRavia’s been stepping up.
After a slow start from beyond the arc, he’s shooting 38% from three over his last ten games - and he’s leading the team in catch-and-shoot attempts. That’s not just volume; that’s trust from the coaching staff and his teammates.
But it’s not just about spacing the floor. LaRavia’s been the Lakers’ most efficient cutter this season, scoring 1.59 points per possession - good for the 90th percentile league-wide. He knows how to time his movements when LeBron or Luka are operating from the post, sneaking along the baseline and finding pockets of space to finish.
And while the Lakers absolutely need a shooter and opportunistic scorer in that role, they also need someone who’s willing to do the dirty work - the kind of stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score but wins games. LaRavia’s embraced that.
“Shots aren’t going to fall every game, but I can control the effort that I bring to the game,” he said. “They talk about offensive [rebounding] crash rate. I’m just trying to do that every night and just bringing energy to this team.”
That effort has put him third on the team in offensive rebounds per game, trailing only Ayton and Jarred Vanderbilt. He’s not a traditional big, but he flies in from the corners, crashes hard, and either creates second-chance opportunities or finishes the play himself.
Defensively, LaRavia’s been just as impactful. He leads the team in deflections at 3.4 per game and ranks third in steals. While he might not have the lateral quickness to stay with the league’s quickest guards, he’s smart, committed, and understands team concepts.
“I know he doesn’t get a lot of credit for his defense, but he’s a really good defender,” said Marcus Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year. “We just got to continue to feed his confidence on that end because we definitely are going to need him.”
The numbers back it up. Over the last ten games, lineups featuring LaRavia alongside LeBron and Luka have a +9.9 net rating. That’s a massive swing from the previous starting unit and a strong indicator that his presence is making a real difference.
And the ripple effect could be beneficial for everyone - including Hachimura. With LaRavia in the starting five, Hachimura can come off the bench and get more touches, more plays run for him, and potentially more consistent production.
That’s exactly what happened in his return against the Hawks. Coming off the bench for the first time this season (on a minutes restriction), Hachimura helped the Lakers to one of their best wins of the year - a blowout over a newly constructed Atlanta squad.
LaRavia chipped in 17 points.
Austin Reaves is still out, so we haven’t seen the full version of this new-look starting five just yet. But whenever that day comes, Jake LaRavia has made a compelling case to stay in it. He’s not just filling a spot - he’s elevating the group.