JJ Redick spoke ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. When asked about Austin Reaves, Redick spoke fondly about his talent and ability. But he also identified a key weakness of his game – not keeping his composure and taking bad shots when the team is struggling. He urged Reaves to address this issue and fix it as soon as possible.
“He has a daring mentality… when he’s played the right way… is a primary creator, and taking the right shot, made the right passes, I’ll be honest with you, he’s played an all-star level. It’s when the game kind of goes sideways…”
“It’s like you can’t get out of character. You can’t then decide, I’m going to take bad shots, because I haven’t had a shot in a while. I’m going to make that pass. Our team needs you to play the right way every time that he’s done that.”
Reaves has shown a tendency this season to take some bad shots, especially when the Lakers are down by a significant amount. In the long run, this has hurt the team’s ability to cut the deficit short and make a run. While he has been playing well, Redick is absolutely spot-on in identifying this as an issue.
It appears Reaves is aware of this issue, as he noted that with the increased amount of possession he has the ball in his hand, he is bound to make some mistakes. But there is making mistakes, and there is taking bad shots. One is absolutely fine, and the other is quite a problem for teams.
For the season, Austin Reaves is averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field, 36.3% from the three-point line, and 81.8% from the charity stripe. These are strong numbers, but his shooting from the field definitely leaves a lot to be desired.
Reaves’ efficiency numbers will take a massive leap when he finally stops taking bad shots during games, as it is a big reason why it is currently under 45%. His scoring numbers might take a hit, but he will be a far more valuable player to the Lakers if he becomes more efficient.
Austin Reaves Can Be The Third Star For The Lakers
Austin Reaves has shown this season that he isn’t just a run-of-the-mill role player. Since entering the league as an undrafted rookie for the Lakers in 2021, Reaves has established himself as a crucial player for the Lakers under multiple coaches, and become a fan favorite.
Reaves has improved with every passing season and has become one of their most important stars. His rise to prominence has made life for players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as they can trust Reaves to help shoulder some of the offensive responsibility on any given night when they don’t have it going.
One man who had a lot of faith coming into this season in Reaves is Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, as he correctly predicted in September of last year that he would have a breakout season with the Lakers and take his game to another level.
There have been some quiet murmurings within the Lakers organization about Austin Reaves potentially being traded, with a big name like Bradley Beal reportedly up for grabs. Former Lakers star Byron Scott has urged the team to not make such a decision, as Reaves is an important player for the Lakers, not just presently, but also in the future.
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