Recently, when the Los Angeles Lakers secured a hard-fought win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, one player, apart from Austin Reaves, who left the entire Target Center stunned, was Jake LaRavia.
The 6’8″ power forward might have never played a meaningful role, even in rotation, in his brief NBA career just yet, but because of the elongated injury list of the Purple and Gold, he finally got an opportunity to feature in the starting lineup. LaRavia made full use of it despite getting heckled by home fans and also Anthony Edwards, who, according to Lou Williams, will now never forget the capabilities of LaRavia.
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Williams was impressed by LaRavia’s composure
Throughout the tightly contested game, the Lakers only managed to get breathing space by building a double-digit lead late in the third quarter. While Reaves did finish the contest with a team-high 28 points and 16 assists, LaRavia’s surge proved to be more or equally important.
He scored 20 of his 27 total points in the second half, including grabbing five of his eight rebounds in that span. More notably, early in the fourth quarter, when a Wolves fan tried to heckle Jake, admitting to know nothing about him, Edwards joined the psychological act to hamper his rhythm, but saying he doesn’t know anything about him either.
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Missing just one field goal and knocking down five three-pointers, along with registering a steal and a block against his name, LaRavia truly made his presence felt on both ends of the floor. That ultimately led Lou to proclaim that if Edwards was genuinely unaware of LaRavis before, he surely knows him now – not just as a role player but as a player who could elevate his production to win games.
“He only missed one shot,” Williams said on the “Run It Back” show.
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LaRavia could be ideal for the new-look Lakers
Of course, once Luka Doncic, LeBron James, or even Marcus Smart return from injury, LaRavia may not enjoy the same offensive freedom he did in this game. However, his performance revealed qualities that will likely keep him in coach JJ Redick’s rotation.
His ability to move smartly without the ball, catch and shoot with confidence, create spacing for teammates and draw fouls on drives to the rim offers valuable versatility to the Lakers’ offensive scheme.
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In a team that often relies heavily on its stars, having a player like LaRavia capable of providing an instant scoring lift off the bench is a major advantage.
This breakout performance could mark a turning point in LaRavia’s young career. For a player who had been on the fringes of the roster, to step up and produce such an efficient and fearless showing in a crucial game sends a clear message to the rest of the NBA, that while that might focus on the Lakers’ Big Three, they also have a 23-year-old stud on the bench who could and take over games in the clutch.
It also shows you how talented the league really is. Even though somebody can be mocked for their lack of playing time, it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be in the NBA.
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Sometimes, they just need an opportunity and LaRavia’s case proves that.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.