The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for the imminent return of Austin Reaves, but there are still a few games left to play until he’s back in the rotation. Ahead of the game against the Mavericks on Saturday, head coach JJ Redick broke down his team’s gameplan and revealed a potential return date for the young Lakers sharpshooter.
According to Redick, via Dave McMenamin, Reaves could return as soon as Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 27-year-old guard has been limited to 23 games this season with a calf injury. He hasn’t played since Christmas, leaving the Lakers without their secondary scorer, who is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 50.7% shooting and 36.5% shooting from three. Reaves allegedly played a “stay ready” game this week, but want to give him more exposure to full-contact basketball before he’s fully cleared.
His upcoming availability comes at a pivotal time for the Lakers, who are in a fight to stay in the top six in the West. Besides his scoring, Reaves makes a massive difference for LA with his skills as a playmaker and ball handler in the backcourt. Until he’s cleared, the Lakers have finalized the following opening lineup: Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. That group has been starting games for weeks now, and not even Rui Hachimura’s return was enough to change the rotation.
With a balanced unit of shooting and defense, Redick trusts guys like Smart and LaRavia to provide consistent support and effort around the veteran stars. While Redick has been opting to play Jaxson Hayes over Deandre Ayton down the stretch, the recent starting unit has shown enough on the floor to earn the benefit of the doubt.
When Reaves eventually does come back, he’ll almost surely take Marcus Smart’s spot as a starter. After not playing for over a month, he’ll likely be rusty on offense, but he’s still the Lakers’ best scoring option outside of Doncic. Before going down, he was on track to make his first All-Star team with averages of 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 50.7% shooting and 36.5% shooting.
Reaves’ return will provide a massive boost for Los Angeles, but they won’t risk his health for immediate wins. Even as they navigate this long road trip, the Lakers will only play Reaves when he’s good and ready. He’s too important to jeopardize his long-term durability, and that means guys like LaRavia, Hachimura, Ayton, and Smart will have to step up until they are whole again.
