Austin Reaves had a star-making performance last night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Orlando Magic.
Even Anthony Davis said Reaves carried the Lakers in their win. Reaves’ 35-point night was heavily boosted by his 18 free throw attempts. He revealed the secret behind his success at getting to the line.
“You can watch people in the past like James Harden and Trae Young, the way they come off ball screens and people are trying to fight over because they’re such good playmakers, floaters, shooters, if you go in early, they got it. You can pick spots here and there to use their speed and energy to get back in front and try to draw a foul like that. I watch James harden and Trae to master that.”
Austin Reaves shot 18 attempts from the free throw line tonight, more than the Magic as a team. He cites James Harden and Trae Young as influences, and he’s tried to incorporate some of why they do into his game: pic.twitter.com/bDqfcFxvj1
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) March 20, 2023
James Harden and Trae Young are both excellent at getting to the line, though fans don’t necessarily appreciate it. Reaves has shot more free throws than the likes of Stephen Curry recently.
Reaves is averaging just 3.8 attempts from the line this season but has averaged 10.0 free throw attempts per game in the last 5 games. He had more free throws than the entire Magic team combined.
Austin Reaves Is The Secret Weapon In LA
The Lakers have known about the impact that Reaves can bring to their team and now the world is seeing it. Jeanie Buss was adamantly against trading Reaves in packages for Kyrie Irving. His Swissy Army knife-like versatility has made him indispensable to the roster.
Reaves is averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists this season and has shown he can thrive in a bigger role if the opportunity is there. He has stepped up in the absence of LeBron James, averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds since LBJ went out with a foot injury.
He will be a free agent this summer and the Lakers will hope to not lose him as they did Alex Caruso in 2021. Reaves is reportedly interested in staying but only if he is offered a fair contract. Trying to offer Reaves less money in the summer may cost the Lakers their sophomore homegrown star.
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