The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors had arguably the most entertaining series of the postseason, as the rival franchises met up in a very high-stakes clash.
The usual narratives of LeBron James vs. the Warriors were being spun, but the Lakers emerged victorious due to a team effort. Austin Reaves was one of the key contributors in the series, taking the challenge of guarding Stephen Curry as his primary responsibility. He did a decent job at it, recently revealing how exhausting the process was.
“It’s honestly hell… You literally can’t ever relax. I remember Games 1 and 2, chasing him and Klay around, and I couldn’t make a shot… I’m like ‘I ain’t got no legs!’”
“It’s honestly hell… You literally can’t ever relax. I remember Game 1 and 2, chasing him and Klay around, and I couldn’t make a shot… I’m like ‘I ain’t got no legs!’”
Austin Reaves describes guarding Steph Curry in the Playoffs🥵
(via @shobasketball)pic.twitter.com/EmxJMCwph7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 20, 2023
Reaves held Curry to 26.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 43.9% shooting, which is quite impressive given how dangerous Curry has been over the course of his career. On his own, Reaves played a role in the series and averaged 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists to lead the Lakers to a 4-2 win.
Most Improved Player Season Loading For Reaves?
Austin Reaves is going to have a bigger role in the Lakers offense this season, without a doubt. His development through the playoffs was remarkable to see and the Lakers will hope the combo guard can carve out a defined role as the third star on the Lakers. He will be sharing the backcourt with the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent, so the Lakers will likely stagger all of their minutes.
If Reaves could repeat his playoff averages across a season or even improve on them slightly, he would be in contention for Most Improved Player of the Year. Reaves will be a part of the Lakers’ future for long after LeBron James and Anthony Davis leave the squad, especially given both stars can be free agents at the end of next season.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
