The LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers succumbed to a 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in their season opener on Tuesday. James’ absence was certainly felt against the Warriors, and Austin Reaves sang his praises postgame for being as impactful as he is on the court at his age.
“Obviously, when you’re missing a guy like Bron, you’re not going to fill that with one person,” Reaves said. “…I need to do something a little better. Luka [Doncic] needs to do something a little better. Rui [Hachimura] has got to pitch in a little more. Like I said, can’t do what he does with one person.
“If I was LeBron James, I probably would’ve retired by now,” Reaves said. “But yeah, he’s one of the greatest players ever to touch a basketball. So, you have to do it as a collective group.”
James’ longevity is simply astonishing. The fact that we all sit back and say that this Lakers team will be substantially better when a 40-year-old in his 23rd season returns from injury tells you all you need to know.
James, who might only return in mid-November as he deals with sciatica, averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2024-25. The 21-time All-Star made the All-NBA Second Team and finished sixth in voting for MVP.
No team can hope to fill the void caused by the absence of a player of that caliber with just one individual. You need multiple players to step up, but that wasn’t the case for the Lakers against the Warriors.
Deandre Ayton was the only one among the role players to even get to double digits for points, with 10. That’s not to say Ayton played well, as he only had six rebounds and recorded four turnovers.
Reaves, who was an undrafted free agent in 2021, didn’t have the best of performances either. The 27-year-old only had 13 points through three quarters, but a late flurry meant he finished with 26 points (9-16 FG), five rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. It was too little too late, though.
The only Laker who shone against the Warriors was Luka Doncic. Doncic finished with 43 points (17-27 FG), 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block. The Lakers should be winning the games where the Slovenian plays this well, but it wasn’t to be.
Austin Reaves On The Lakers’ Third-Quarter Woes
The Lakers were very much in this game against the Warriors at halftime, as they only trailed 55-54. A back-and-forth contest appeared to be on the cards, but the Warriors won the third quarter 35-25 and ended up cruising to victory.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated postgame that slow starts to third quarters have become a trend for his team. Redick saw this last season as well and stated his players are not ready to play after the break. While some would suggest that it’s the coach’s responsibility to get them ready, Reaves stated the onus is on the players.
“We’ve just been bad in third quarter’s last couple years for sure, but I think ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had a problem with third quarters,” Reaves said. “So, just got to figure out a way to come out with a little more energy. The first thing JJ talked about after was just figuring out a way to be better in the third quarter.
“And that’s on us players,” Reaves added. “That’s not on the coaches. They come in here and…give us the answers to the test. We just didn’t go out and execute. So that’s on us, and we had to be better.”
Reaves only had one point in the third quarter as the Warriors seized control of the game. He recognizes he needs to play better, and he will get a chance at redemption when the Lakers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Friday at 10 PM ET.
