Missed by the Lakers again! The favorite in the No. 3 pick was delayed by injuries

Without James, without Doncic, without Reeves, can the Lakers defeat the Trail Blazers, who were ranked fourth in the Western Conference before the start of the game?

I don’t think anyone would believe it, or even think that the away game for the Lakers would end in a disastrous defeat, but the result was exciting. The Lakers not only won the game, but also gave fans hope of competing for the championship this season.

There is no Dong Zhanli, but Rui Hachimura still performed stably. He made 10 of 15 from the field, 2 of 4 three-pointers, 6 of 6 free throws, and scored 28 points and 4 rebounds.

So far this season, he has averaged 18 points per game, shot 58.9% from the field, and 44.8% from three-point range. Hachimura has also become stronger.

Ayton faced the Trail Blazers, his old team that bought him out, and he did not soften, but immediately hardened up. He made 14 of 19 shots, 1 of 2 free throws, and scored 29 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks!

This season he averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage is as high as 65%. He does not steal the shot, but is very efficient, especially the mid-range, which is as stable as an old dog, which can enrich the Lakers' tactics.

Smart has brought perimeter defense and passion to the Lakers, and the offensive end can only depend on God's will.

Although Browne is also very poor on the offensive end, he has entered the team rotation with his excellent defense and understanding of the game. He scored 5 points, 6 assists and 1 steal in this game. He is only 21 years old and is still improving.

Also, the Lakers always have magic weapons coming from heaven.

Laravia, who played in the previous games, still showed a super high basketball IQ in this game, scoring 11 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.

Today it was Nick Smith's turn. The Lakers lacked ball handlers. Redick gave Smith 27 minutes of playing time. He completely seized the opportunity, shooting 10 of 15, 5 of 6 three-pointers, scoring 25 points, 6 assists and 2 steals. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers defeat the Trail Blazers.

As a two-way contract player, Trail Blazers acting head coach Split didn't even recognize him and couldn't name Nick Smith in the post-game interview.

Nick Smith was a rookie selected by the Hornets with the 27th overall pick in the first round of 2023. He was waived by the Hornets in September this year, and the Lakers immediately signed him.

Fans say that after Reeves, the Lakers have missed out again. In fact, the Lakers still have a very good eye on low-ranking players. Of course, more of them can be said to be lottery tickets.

Nick Smith was a popular candidate for the third overall pick before the 2023 draft, but he was later injured and his market price dropped to the end of the first round.

The Lakers gambled on Nick Smith with a two-way contract. The results so far seem to be ideal. Let's see if he can become an official player of the Lakers in the future.

If the Lakers have something, head coach Redick has also grown a lot after a season of experience. He looks forward to the full integration of the Lakers in mid-November.