Austin Reaves’ agent Aaron Reilly has given new Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick his seal of approval. Reilly is a fan of the hire and believes Redick will get the best out of Reaves to end the talk about the Lakers needing a third superstar.
“This coach is about to show a different part of Austin’s game none have you seen. Kept receipts on all that third superstar bulls***. Great hire for LA – going to be a big year next season.”
Well, if Reaves does indeed take a big leap, I suppose we should expect some receipts to be pulled up. Ever since the Lakers lost in the first round of the 2024 playoffs to the Denver Nuggets in five games, there has been talk about the team needing another superstar alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With Reaves being the Lakers’ most valuable asset apart from James and Davis, his name is the one almost always included in hypothetical trade offers for superstars. Reilly believes the hiring of Redick will put an end to that, as his client’s game would go to another level under him.
Reaves averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the Lakers in the 2023-24 campaign. The 26-year-old put up career highs across the board, but still perhaps didn’t take the leap that some expected him to.
If we go by Reilly’s comments, it sure does seem like he would place the blame for that on former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. Ham had Reaves come off the bench for a significant portion of the season and his constant chopping and changing when it came to the rotations didn’t help the guard either.
As for how Redick might utilize Reaves, that remains to be seen. According to The Athletic, when the 39-year-old met the Lakers for his interview, he spoke about a system where James would be utilized off the ball more.
With D’Angelo Russell also potentially on the way out in free agency, it could mean Reaves plays with the ball more often than he has in the past. That certainly would benefit him in a big way.
JJ Redick Loves Austin Reaves’ Physical And Mental Toughness
Redick has also spoken glowingly about Reaves in the past. Not only is he a fan of his game, but his attitude as well, as Redick had some NSFW praise for Reaves last year.
“He has an intangible, and that is toughness. He’s a d**k. Memes aside, the guy is a d**k. He competes every night. Winning and losing matters to him. We’ve seen him make big shots, buzzer beaters… He has a level of mental and physical toughness that I love. Those are the type of guys that LeBron James also loves.”
We know that LeBron is a big fan of Reaves and Redick likes him for many of the same reasons. It doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a match made in heaven, but it’s at least a good platform to build from.
If Reaves does end up taking a big step in the 2024-25 campaign, then there’s a good chance that Redick’s first season at the helm would be a huge success. We can safely say that James and Davis are going to perform at a high level and if the guard does too, then the Lakers will find themselves near the top of the standings in the West.
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