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The 2019-20 LA Lakers had a fantastic championship run during the NBA Playoffs, as they recorded a great 16-5 record during the postseason. Predictably, superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were the leaders of the team in almost every stat during their path to the 17th title in franchise history.
Role players were key for the LA Lakers' success and represented a strong supporting cast. Though the team had their pecking order well established, these role players stepped up their level during the NBA Playoffs and helped carry the load on both sides.
In this article, we will take a look into the Top 5 LA Lakers players in terms of PER in the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs.
Top 5 LA Lakers players in terms of PER in the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs
Without further ado, let us take a look into the Top 5 LA Lakers players in terms of PER in the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs.
PER stands for Player Efficiency Rating, an advanced stat that measures a player's per-minute production, according to Basketball Reference. The league average is 15.
The list will be made with players who participated in at least 15 of the LA Lakers' 21 games in the NBA Playoffs.
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#5 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 10.5 PER in the NBA Playoffs
KCP was an outstanding role player for the LA Lakers in their NBA Playoffs run. Even though he ranked fifth in PER among individuals who played at least 15 games in the postseason, his PER was below the league average.
With an average of 10.7 points per game in the NBA Playoffs on 41 percent shooting and 82 percent from the FT line, Caldwell-Pope managed to have a good impact for the team.
Admittedly, the creator of the Player Efficiency Rating stat, John Hollinger, expressed that this stat is not accurate in representing a player's defensive game.
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#4 Dwight Howard - 15.7 PER in the NBA Playoffs
Dwight Howard played 282 minutes in 18 games for the LA Lakers during the NBA Playoffs, and glimpses of his old self and his consistent play gave him a 15.7 PER in the postseason - higher than the NBA's average.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner had huge moments for the LA Lakers in the NBA Playoffs, especially during the Western Conference Finals against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He consistently made Jokic uncomfortable on both ends of the court.
Howard was third on the team in total rebounds during the NBA Playoffs and was a force in the paint. Even though he only blocked eight shots in the postseason, his presence in the paint was one of the major positives for the LA Lakers overall.
#3 Rajon Rondo - 16.8 PER in the NBA Playoffs
The term 'Playoff Rondo' is not just a game of words; it is an exact representation of Rajon Rondo's NBA Playoffs prowess. The LA Lakers point guard was solid for the team in the postseason, as he had tremendous games controlling the offence while also doing a good job defensively.
The 34-year-old Rondo is not the same as he was in his best years with the Boston Celtics, but he still was useful for the LA Lakers with his playmaking abilities. He also shot the ball very well during the NBA Playoffs, with 40 percent shooting from three.
His PER of 16.8 ranks third among the LA Lakers' players in the NBA Playoffs, just behind superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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#2 Anthony Davis - 29.6 PER in the NBA Playoffs
Anthony Davis was the LA Lakers' leading scorer during the NBA Playoffs. In fact, he led the entire league in total points in the postseason, with 582 points in 21 games.a
Davis led the LA Lakers in PER during the regular season, but his 29.6 PER in the postseason ranked second in the team, behind LeBron James.
The 27-year-old led the team in offensive rating and blocks in the postseason. His best series came against the Denver Nuggets in the WCF, when he averaged 31 points and six assists per game on 54 percent shooting.
Davis led the NBA Playoffs in two-point field goals made, offensive win shares, win shares, and win shares per 48 minutes.
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#1 LeBron James - 30.2 PER in the NBA Playoffs
The undisputed best player of the LA Lakers and the NBA, LeBron James found yet another gear during the NBA Playoffs.
Though he did not lead the team in scoring throughout the NBA Playoffs, he did it in the NBA Finals. His playmaking was as good as ever, apart from some rare games with uncharacteristic turnovers, and his rebounding took another step in the postseason.
A statistical difference between Davis and LeBron in the NBA Playoffs was the rebounding aspect, as James went from 7.8 rebounds per game in the regular season to 10.8 in the NBA Playoffs to lead the LA Lakers in that department.
LeBron finished just two points behind Davis in total points scored, and led the league in defensive rebounds, total rebounds, assists and field goals made.
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Also read: Miami Heat vs LA Lakers: 5 key match-ups to look forward to in the NBA Finals 2020
Guess the Lakers players!
