Lakers player grades: L.A. ends regular season with win over Jazz

The Los Angeles Lakers took the court on Sunday for one final tune-up before the start of the NBA playoffs. They faced the Utah Jazz, a team that came in tied for the worst record in the Western Conference and has allegedly been tanking for a while now.

The Jazz had a number of their key guys out due to injury, while Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes were out of action for the Lakers. This game was never really competitive, as L.A. got out to a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Even though it played mostly its reserves throughout the second half, it kept increasing its lead and cruised to a 131-107 victory.

Los Angeles shot 54.8% from the field and 44.1% from 3-point range, notched 37 assists on 51 made baskets and had 20 fast-break points. The team finished the regular season with a 53-29 record, and with the Denver Nuggets defeating the San Antonio Spurs, it claimed the fourth seed in the Western Conference, which means it will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

Luke Kennard: C

Kennard played just 11 minutes, attempted only one shot (which he made) and finished with three points and one assist.

Marcus Smart: C-plus

Smart shot just 1-of-7 overall and 1-of-5 from 3-point land, limiting him to five points, but he dished off 10 assists and added two rebounds and one steal. His mere presence on the court will be invaluable during the playoffs, as the Lakers didn't have a backcourt player with that kind of experience last season when they lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.

Rui Hachimura: A-plus

Hachimura was on point throughout the 29 minutes he got versus Utah. He made eight of his 12 field-goal attempts, three of his five 3-point tries and three of his four free throw attempts, giving him 22 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, which was tied for the team high in that category, and he added one steal.

In the last five games, ever since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with hamstring and oblique strains, respectively, Hachimura averaged 16.6 points a contest on 60% overall shooting and 61.1% 3-point shooting. His aggressiveness offensively will be a big key to the Lakers' success in the playoffs, and it would also greatly help if he pounds the boards hard.

Deandre Ayton: A

Ayton had a great showing on Sunday. By making a team high 10 shots on 14 attempts, he scored 22 points, and he also gobbled up 10 rebounds, blocked three shots and added one assist.

He's another player who will need to step things up if the Lakers are to get past the first round of the playoffs. But his teammates can greatly help in that regard by feeding him the ball in the paint early and often, especially as long as Doncic and Reaves are out of action.

LeBron James: B-plus

James got 17 minutes of playing time on Sunday and didn't play at all in the second half. He made pretty good use of the time he got on the court and scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting and 6-of-7 from the foul line while adding six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

He has looked fresh ever since he reverted to his old role as the Lakers' main superstar about a week ago, and he seems to be very ready to drop big numbers during the playoffs.

Nick Smith Jr.: B-plus/A-minus

Armed with a two-year standard NBA contract after previously playing on a two-way deal this season, Smith turned in 12 points on 5-of-11 overall shooting and 2-of-6 from downtown, plus one assist in 18 minutes. His fluidity, ability to handle the basketball, score off the bounce and occasionally hit the open man can help prevent James, Kennard and Smart from burning themselves out.

Jake LaRavia: C-minus

LaRavia shot 1-of-3 and scored just two points in 25 minutes, but he did contribute four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. While he can be counted on to hustle on the boards and on the defensive end, his scoring must be there, and he must hit from the outside often enough for L.A. to advance.

Bronny James: A

The younger James was on the court for 19 minutes against Utah, and he finished the regular season with a nice performance. He shot 4-of-7 overall and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, giving him 11 points. He also did a nice job of hitting the open man when appropriate, which resulted in him getting four assists against zero turnovers, and he also chipped in one rebound and one steal.

Jarred Vanderbilt: B

In 16 minutes, Vanderbilt scored four points and had four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.

Maxi Kleber: B-plus

Kleber gave the Lakers two points, six rebounds and one block in 15 minutes. While he won't contribute much, if at all, in terms of scoring and is no longer an outside shooting threat, his ability to play with physicality, especially defensively and on the boards, will come in handy against Alperen Sengun and Clint Capela of the Rockets.

Dalton Knecht: A

Knecht had what was likely his best game of this season. In just 12 minutes, he scored a season-high 17 points by making six of his nine shot attempts and five of his six attempts from 3-point land. He also added four assists, two rebounds and one steal.

This was the first time he scored in double figures since a Dec. 30 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Adou Thiero: B-plus

Thiero got onto the court for 12 minutes on Sunday, and he made all four of his shot attempts, giving him eight points. He also chipped in four rebounds and two assists to close out his first regular season in the NBA.

Drew Timme, Chris Mañon: Incomplete

The Lakers' two remaining two-way contract players got seven minutes apiece of playing time in this game. Both converted one basket, with Timme's bucket coming from beyond the 3-point line. Timme also had two assists and one steal, and Mañon logged two rebounds and one assist.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player grades: L.A. ends regular season with win over Jazz