The Los Angeles Lakers are now tied 1-1 with the Memphis Grizzlies after falling 93-103 to Memphis in Game 2 of their First Round series.

With the Memphis Grizzlies entering the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the second seed, ordinarily their victories wouldn't be seen as upsets. However, with Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant dealing with a hand injury, Grizzlies starting center Steven Adams possibly out for the season with a knee injury, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer in LeBron James suiting up for the other side, Memphis isn't exactly a clear-cut favorite despite their seeding.

If the Lakers had Kyrie Irving rather than D'Angelo Russell — as they clearly intended to — L.A. might actually be the favorites actually. At the very least, they would be up 2-0 against the Grizzlies.

3 Kyrie Irving traits that Lakers are 1000% missing with D'Angelo Russell in 2023 NBA Playoffs

Go-to scorer mentality

Among the many tangible traits that make Kyrie Irving stand out on the court, the simple fact that he has a true scorer's mentality is an intangible that can't be overlooked when comparing his game to D'Angelo Russell's.

Averaging 27.1 points per game for the 2022-23 season, Irving has averaged as many as 25.9 points per game in the postseason. A player that seems to get energized by every bucket he makes, having Irving in the lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies could be the difference between the Los Angeles Lakers being up 2-0 and them being tied.

For reference, Russell is averaging 12.0 points per game against the Grizzlies in the First Round.

Not only are LeBron James (24.5 points per game) and Anthony Davis (17.5 points per game) outpacing him as scorers, but Rui Hachimura (24.5 points per game) and Austin Reaves (17.5 points per game) are as well.

In the postseason, some matchups are tougher than others.

That's why AD putting up such modest numbers for his standards has been forgivable in a sense; he's matched up against the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year in Jaren Jackson Jr. after all.

Tyus Jones, starting in place of the injured Ja Morant, is no slouch. But he also isn't exactly being tested by D'Lo, a player that's been settling for long jumpers and not putting much pressure on the teeth of the defense.

Hyper-efficiency

Kyrie Irving is seen as a ball-handling wizard capable of stretching the defense way out beyond the arc or making any number of acrobatic finishes.

However, a lot of Irving's excellence on the offensive end can come down to the fact that he's a scoring technician. His footwork, shooting touch, counters, and ball-handling are the byproduct of countless hours working diligently on those aspects of his game.

This isn't to say that D'Angelo Russell doesn't have a high enough work ethic but where Irving has clearly focused on being an unstoppable scorer, Russell seems to have kept his focus on his 3-point stroke and passing ability.

Those are useful traits for any player.

Unfortunately, it may not be enough.

Actually, considering D'Lo is only averaging 12.0 points per game on 32.1 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent shooting from 3-point range thus far this series, it's clearly not enough.

Chemistry with LeBron

Not that there's anything wrong in particular with the pairing of LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell.

However, there's definitely something worth noting about the on-court chemistry LeBron had developed with Kyrie Irving during their three runs to the NBA Finals.

Where LeBron bullied his opponents, testing their strength, Kyrie tested their footwork and perimeter defense.

When LeBron needed a teammate to take over, Irving not only was ready for the moment but anxiously awaiting it.

So, whether the Lakers were trying to narrow the gap in the fourth quarter or show opponents that they could take a hit and punch back, there's no doubt that Kyrie would be a better for L.A. than D'Lo.

Because, at the end of the day, Kyrie is a more formidable offensive option and thus a better fit beside LeBron.