Everything you need to know about how Austin Reaves’ season is going happened on the last play of the game in Toronto just over a week ago when the Lakers faced the Raptors. With Luka Doncic out and the game tied with under 10 seconds to go, coach J.J. Redick put the ball in the hands of Austin Reaves and asked him to create a shot. The Raptors chose to double Reaves — and double off LeBron James, one of the greatest playmakers the game has ever seen. Reaves got the ball to LeBron, who drove to the nail, then kicked it out to the corner to a wide-open Rui Hachimura, and the Lakers got the win.
That is the trust the Lakers have in Reaves and the respect other teams have for him, and why he will be missed for the next few games as he is out with a mild calf strain, the team announced Friday. Reaves will be re-evaluated in one week and will miss at least two games (on the road at Phoenix and Utah).
Reaves has made a huge leap this season and established himself as the true No. 2 option for the Lakers next to Doncic, and a guy who can run the offense on nights Doncic is not on the court. Reaves is playing at an All-Star level and averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.
“There’s a there’s a cadence right now to his game,” Redick said recently of Reaves. “He’s got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup. He’s got a great understanding of how to play with Luka [Doncic]. And so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for. He’s just in that right now.”
Reaves is also a free agent next summer and is widely expected to re-sign with the Lakers, but it’s going to cost the team — Reaves is on a steal of a deal at $14.9 million this season and that salary is going to more than double next season.
Expect Gabe Vincent to get the start in Reaves’ absence and Marcus Smart will get more run, while more playmaking duties will fall to LeBron.
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