At 17-17 to begin the New Year, the Los Angeles Lakers are once again teetering on mediocrity halfway through the season. Even so, fan-favorite guard Austin Reaves remains relegated to the bench as the starters struggle to find a rhythm. According to Reaves, who recently opened up on the situation, he’s committed to winning and doing whatever is necessary to right the ship.
“I get to play basketball for a living, regardless of what my role is. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m gonna do it to help our team and that’s all that matters. Winning is all that matters to me.”
Reaves blamed injuries for the recent slide, noting that guys have been “in-and-out of the lineup” all season long. Not everyone is convinced that injuries are the biggest problem right now but Reaves has yet to show any signs of doubt.
“One day you could start one day you could come off the bench, so whatever that role is, I’ve got to go do that to the best of my ability.”
Austin Reaves, asked about continuing to come off the bench as the Lakers have changed their starting lineup, said “winning is all that matters … whatever that role is, I’ve got to go do that to the best of my ability” pic.twitter.com/jXCqEWzhQ7
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 3, 2024
A Feud Between Reaves And Ham?
Behind the scenes, there are signs that problems are brewing. Recent rumors have indicated a potential feud between Reaves and head coach Darvin Ham that could be the reason behind his limited role this season. Despite being the team’s third-best player, and most reliable premier shooter right now, Reaves continues to be stuck in a bench role as unproven wings like Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt get a run with the starters. How this situation will end remains to be seen, but the fans are starting to catch on, and the demands are growing louder for Austin to get a larger slice of the pie.
For Ham, who has already mixed the starters several times this season, any further tweaks to the rotation risks losing respect in the locker room. To avoid more backlash and potentially a ticket to the hot seat, Darvin will need to forget whatever beef he’s got with Reaves and lean more on him to support LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Austin Is The Key
Austin Reaves was a core component to the Laers’ Western Conference Finals run last year and he proved that he was a guy worthy of keeping around for the long haul. Coming into the season, Reaves was projected to be a borderline All-Star in the Lakers’ backcourt but he’s been decent at best and there is a sense that the Lakers are still waiting for more from him.
This season, through 34 games, Austin is averaging 15.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game on 47% shooting. These numbers are an improvement from last season but the Lakers will need even more to re-take their place as contenders in the West. If not, Reaves could be the one who gets moved as part of a last-ditch effort to salvage the situation. Either way, Austin is the key to success for this team and he will play a role in the events to come — for better or worse.
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