The Los Angeles Lakers made a flurry of offseason moves this summer to help Luka Doncic (and LeBron James), and all of them seem to be panning out pretty well. Their 5-2 start to the season has been largely defined by the emergence of Austin Reaves as a legitimate star, but all of the guys they brought on board this summer have been playing their parts beautifully.
Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, and Deandre Ayton have all fit in well as pieces of the puzzle around Doncic and Reaves. Over the summer, some fans were disappointed with the moves LA made, especially with the way things went down with Dorian Finney-Smith. But so far, the team looks solid.
And the new additions are playing their roles very well.
**How well are new Lakers playing?**
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First, there’s Smart, who has already earned a place in the starting lineup, even if it is only a temporary spot while LeBron James is out. His defensive intensity has been a welcome addition to the lineup, and he’s even hitting some shots, too (though that’s mostly a recent development, as he shot 3-of-7 from deep against the Miami Heat).
Through his first five games, in which he’s started the last three, Smart has played 27.2 minutes per contest (the sixth-most on the team). He’s averaged 9.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.5% from the field and 27.8% from deep on 3.6 three-point attempts per contest.
Just as Smart enjoyed a solid night against the Heat, LaRavia [did as well](https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-got-steal-offseason-not-even-close-jake-laravia). He churned out a 25-point, eight-rebound, three-assist performance that also included him nabbing four steals. He shot 10-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-3 from deep.
LaRavia has appeared in all seven games for the Lakers, playing 28.6 minutes per contest. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 60.0% from the floor and 50.0% from distance.
Lastly, Ayton missed the Heat game due to a back injury, but he’s looked good while playing alongside Doncic and Reaves so far this season.
He’s played in six games, starting all of them, and earning 31.3 minutes per contest. Ayton has averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 62.7% from the field.
All three of these guys have contributed to winning so far, and so far, this past summer looks like a big success for LA.