Whether it was because Luka Dončić, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura were out or because of a bigger issue, the Lakers were unable to make it much of a game against the Suns.

Phoenix was in full control at the half, up by double figures and in the third, they broke the game wide open, leading by as many as 29 points.

Los Angeles once again struggled to score inside the paint, slow down Phoenix, or keep up with the Suns’ pace of play. The Lakers are now officially having their first losing streak of the year.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

26 minutes, 23 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 7-14FG, 3-5 3PT, 6-11 FT, -18

LeBron was one of the few bright spots in this game. He shot well and made good decisions with the basketball, with six assists and zero turnovers.

With the game out of reach, he didn’t play at all during the fourth quarter, which is a good thing because the last thing the Lakers need is their star player getting hurt in a game they were clearly not going to win.

22 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 6-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-5 FT, -17

Reaves finally returned from his left calf strain in this game, but he didn’t start in this contest. Instead, he came off the bench and eased into things. Overall, he played well and looked relatively comfortable. My guess is that Reaves will be just fine and starting on Christmas Day against the Rockets.

27 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-8 FG, 0-1 FT, -23

Ayton, like Reaves, also made his return from injury against the Suns. He was smart with his shot selection and rebounded well, grabbing double-digit boards.

However, defensively, he was unable to protect the paint as Mark Williams feasted.

29 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-8 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-4 FT, -11

LaRavia was such a mixed bag in this game. For every nice basket he had, there was an equally ugly basket he allowed the Suns to score. He is just too slow to do anything to prevent Phoenix from getting to the basket.

That’s going to lead to disaster, considering the Suns employ Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.

28 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-11 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-2 FT, -9

Head coach JJ Redick took a chance starting Smith Jr. and it failed. He was too eager to shoot early and was unsuccessful. His defense was even worse, allowing the Suns to get some quick baskets and find a rhythm early.

He had that one great performance against the Blazers, but against the Suns, fans were reminded of why he is a two-way player.

30 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-11 FG, 4-8 3PT, -19

Since the Lakers were allowing the Suns to score with ease, what they really needed was some offense so they could try to keep up with them. That’s not Smart’s specialty, so his play wasn’t so impactful

20 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, -28

Similar to Smart, Vando can’t help as much when the team is already behind once he checks in. Vanderbilt can’t give you offense either, so he was just getting some cardio out there.

14 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 1-5 FG, 0-3 3PT, 1-1 FT, -2

Most of Dalton’s minutes came during garbage time, so there isn’t much to take away from his play. So, if you do want to treat these as important minutes, it’s a bad look for him.

14 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-5 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-3 FT, +6

I won’t complain anytime Thiero can play, but, like Knecht, the bulk of Thiero’s time was when the game was over. With the time he did play, it was respectable.

10 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist,1 turnover, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, +5

Chris Mañon, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber

This trio didn’t play enough to earn a grade tonight. Hayes left the game early with left ankle soreness, so we’ll see if he’ll be okay for LA’s next game.

Redick should’ve started Reaves. Playing Smith Jr. right away went poorly, and that’s on him. I also didn’t like the early Knecht minutes. The Lakers’ defense was awful and often confused. How much you want to blame personnel or Redick is up to you, but I’m not passing him based on this game.

Tuesday’s inactives: Luka Dončić, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Drew Timme

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.