The Lakers have positioned a wager as large as LeBron James’ shoulders, and so they have positioned that wager on a former undrafted guard.
Within the absence of a blockbuster commerce for a 3rd famous person who may play alongside James and Anthony Davis, they’ve positioned their staff within the fingers of Austin Reaves.
The Lakers’ Austin Reaves leaps within the air and passes the ball throughout a sport in opposition to the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Enviornment Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions)
Dealing D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets wasn’t nearly clearing payroll. The commerce was additionally designed to clear time and house for the 26-year-old Reaves.
To be on the ball extra.
To create extra.
This alone gained’t remodel the Lakers into in a single day contenders, however they may as nicely work out what they’ve in Reaves earlier than deciding whether or not to commerce the longer term first-round draft picks they’ve held onto thus far.
Is Reaves only a stable participant with an reasonably priced contract? Or can he be greater than that, even perhaps an All-Star?
The Lakers aren’t Reaves’ staff, however that is Reaves’ second.
For now, they should reside and die by him, simply as they do with James and Davis, simply as they did on Tuesday night time in a 122-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reaves was every little thing from reckless to breathtaking in opposition to the staff with the most effective report within the NBA, committing three turnovers within the first six minutes however ending with 35 factors, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.
His level whole equaled his profession excessive.
Coach JJ Redick stated he spoke to Reaves about “the patience to just make simple plays.”
Then once more, Redick added, “There’s a nature to his game that you have to be willing to live with some of his stuff because of the way he attacks and the change of pace and the quick decisions and the quick bursts. There’s gonna be some of that and you have to live with that. It’s sort of the unforced stuff [where he] will grow.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick seems throughout the court docket throughout a sport in opposition to the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Enviornment Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions)
Redick’s religion in Reaves is what pushed Russell to the bench earlier this season. Reaves’ play within the earlier two video games solidified the Lakers’ resolve to incorporate Russell in a bundle for which they obtained Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in return.
Reaves recorded a triple-double and scored the profitable basket in a Christmas Day victory over the Golden State Warriors. He registered a career-high 16 assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. He scored 17 factors within the fourth quarter in opposition to the Cavaliers.
“Just like I always say, play the game the right way and just do what the game calls for,” Reaves stated. “If it’s scoring, score. If it’s not, make plays. But at the end of the day, just get us organized, get us into stuff that we need to get in.”
Reaves may need downplayed his expanded function, however there’s nothing minor about this. As he turned a fixture within the Lakers’ rotation, many have questioned whether or not a staff can win a championship with him as its third-best participant. The rest of this season ought to produce a definitive reply.
Regardless of the Lakers find out about Reaves, the truth is that they nonetheless aren’t near contending, even after touchdown a succesful defender and three-point shooter in Finney-Smith. The loss to the Cavaliers was proof of that.
The Lakers had just about no offense outdoors of Reaves, Davis and James. Rui Hachimura was notably ineffective, scoring solely seven factors on 3-of-10 capturing. The bench was additionally unproductive, combining for simply 12 factors, in comparison with 32 scored by their opponent‘s reserves.
They made half as many three-pointers as the Cavaliers.
James didn’t communicate after the sport, however he didn’t must. His phrases from the day before today sufficed.
Laker LeBron James tries to get a shot off whereas surrounded by Cavaliers at Crypto.com Enviornment Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions)
Addressing reporters on the Lakers’ apply facility on the eve of New Yr’s Eve, James stated he was inspired by the additions of Finney-Smith and Milton.
He additionally launched a measure of actuality into the dialog.
“Are we at a championship level?” James requested. “Can we win a championship right now?”
He answered his personal query: “No, I don’t think so.”
Reaves gained’t alter that actuality, no matter how he performs. However his efficiency will instruct common supervisor Rob Pelinka on what he has to do subsequent, on whether or not the subsequent wave of reinforcements ought to be gamers who improve what Reaves does or transfer him again right into a peripheral function.
