The Lakers seem to have found their rhythm as we inch closer to the end of the regular season. They have won a whopping seven of their last eight games [per NBA.com] and are currently being praised for their efforts by the fans and media. While the entire squad is getting applause, Austin Reaves is consistently failing to impress NFL legend, Keyshawn Johnson. On the recent episode of the UNDISPUTED show, Johnson talked about how Reaves’ game is dropping fast in the quality category, and how it sorely lacks consistency.
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LeBron James is brilliantly leading the Lakers at the moment and the rest of his teammates are also coming through with their assigned tasks. In the Nets game where LBJ dropped 40 points, Anthony Davis followed him up with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Rui Hachimura had 20 points and 10 rebounds of his own, according to NBA.com. Their last game against the Raptors followed a similar pattern where LBJ dropped 23 points, while AD followed him up with 21 points and 12 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell did the same, with 25 points and seven assists [per NBA.com]. Reacting to it, Johnson seemed very pleased by the fact that the entire team was finally contributing to the common goal.
.@keyshawn has a message for Austin Reaves in the midst of the Lakers playoff run:
“Be more consistent.” pic.twitter.com/iCc0dyR79z
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 3, 2024
However, he was not pleased with Reaves’ game, amidst the rest of the team getting its momentum back. He said, “Now, my one pet peeve with all of this is, I need Austin Reaves to start playing. I get it. He hasn’t played well since the Bucks game…five or six games ago.” Johnson said that he expects more from Reaves and it is time for him to show up for his team as the rest of the players are spot on with their job.
In the Lakers’ last five games, Reaves has averaged 15.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, while shooting an underwhelming 41.2% from the field, and just 19.4% from three-point range, per StatMuse. Given the numbers, it is very difficult to argue with Keyshawn Johnson. After all, with the rest of the Lakers roster kicking into gear, most would’ve expected Reaves to be among the ones leading the pack.
That said, the 25-year-old only needs a little bit of time. With Reaves having proven himself as one of LA’s better players, it is highly likely that he will come through for the team before long.
Austin Reaves stat in the last 10 games
If we strictly go by the average points, rebounds, and assists, Reaves holds his ground with 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 43% from the field in the last 10 games, per StatMuse. However, the main issue with Reaves is his inconsistency. His last good game was against the Bucks where he scored 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 36.4% from the three-point line.
AUSTIN REAVES PUT THE MOVES ON JORDAN POOLE pic.twitter.com/RhAfvqFx5Y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 3, 2024
Since then, Reaves has played four games where he scored 13, 16, 12, and 7 while his FG% was at 33.3, 43.8, 45.5, and 22.2. His three-point shooting percentage took a severe hit since the Bucks game as he made 0%, 14.3%, 0%, and 20% in the last four games. Considering these facts, Reaves needs to take a hard look at his game because clearly, he is going in the wrong direction.
