Luka Doncic has made a distinct place for himself as the leader on the court for the Lakers. But LA’s latest superstar is also finding ways to bond with his teammates off the field. The prime example of this initiative from Doncic is his relationship with Austin Reaves.
The Lakers are struggling with injuries this season, but these two have been carrying the torch whenever necessary. They take turns, going off for almost back-to-back 50-point individual games. But it is their off-the-field chemistry that is winning the hearts of the internet.
It was a road trip during this preseason that made them realize how much the two ace scorers enjoy trash-talking each other, and then there was no looking back. Head coach JJ Redick spoke at length about their bond before the Lakers’ matchup against the Miami Heat.
“I think it’s in a really healthy place. I think what they realized early in the preseason, I don’t know if it was the first road trip or the second one that we went on, but they both realized that they both enjoy talking trash a lot. And their personalities in that regard are very similar, so they can sort of create a little bit of chemistry with each other just by being their natural selves,” Redick said.
During their own conversations with the media, Doncic and Reaves have given the fans a peek inside how the two exchange verbal blows behind the scenes. Even when Reaves was appreciating his extremely talented teammates’ uncanny shot-making, he looked like he was trolling Doncic for being exceptional.
“B******t. A one-foot falling out of bounds from about 35 feet. He almost made it, too. That’s some b******t,” the 27-year-old guard said.
Doncic, on the other hand, didn’t hold back when a media member told him about Reaves’ opinion about him. He asked Doncic whether he could average 40 points a game, and the 26-year-old guard revealed he thinks it will be tough to achieve. So the journalist tells Doncic that Reaves was asked the same question, and he replied affirmatively, evidence of how confident he feels about Doncic’s play.
“Austin is stupid,” the former Mavericks superstar responded. The Lakers’ head coach also spoke about how these two have taken up the bulk of the offensive responsibility, somewhat aided by DeAndre Ayton’s strong presence in the paint.
“I think a big part of our offense has just been the play of Austin and Luka. Just, both as creators, for others, and creating for themselves,” Redick added.
Doncic has averaged 45.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, shooting 58.4% from the field and 35.1% from the three-point line this season, playing three out of the six games. Reaves has played all but the ones in which he played with Doncic; he averaged 24.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists, shooting 51.1% from the field and 27.8% from the three-point line.
The Lakers are trying their best to keep it together, but injury after injury keeps derailing their plans to build the right fit, chemistry, or lineups. In every game right now, they depend on individual greatness instead of teamwork to achieve their objective.
The Lakers stand at 4-2 in the season before the Miami Heat game. It will be a true test of their resilience, as they have again been dealt with injury struggles. With DeAndre Ayton out of the game, the Lakers are tasked with redefining themselves quickly.
