Early on in the 25/26 season, when the Los Angeles Lakers were flying high, Austin Reaves was one of their best players. Of course, he was playing a supporting role to Luka Doncic, but it was key, and something they’re missing in their current rollercoaster stretch.
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For now, Reaves remains out with the calf strain he sustained in December and will miss the Lakers’ next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, at the very least. However, he is not too far from returning, and could very well arrive in time for the most crucial part of the season.
Danny Green, for one, feels that Reaves’ performances in the postseason will actually determine how far the Lakers can go. One thing is for certain, though. Reaves has to do much better than he did in previous seasons.
On ESPN, the topic of discussion was: which player is most important to the Lakers this season, and Green’s answer was Reaves and how he performs in the playoffs. “Of course, in the playoffs, we’ve seen his numbers have taken a dip,” he began.
Last season, Reaves averaged 21 points per game in the regular season, but his numbers dipped to 16 in the playoffs. This season, his regular-season scoring has jumped to 26 points per game so far. It is a significant leap, and one that will need to carry over into the playoffs as well.
Green feels that not much will change on the defensive front for the Lakers, even if they sign a 3 and D-wing. So, their best chance to beat teams is to outscore them.
“They’re gonna need these guys to score a bunch, obviously. Luke is proven, Bron is proven in the playoffs, Austin Reaves is the guy they’re kind of seeing if he’s gonna grow and take that next step to being that third scorer consistently, night in and night out,” Green added. “So, they’re gonna need him.”
The Lakers looked genuinely comfortable with Reaves and Doncic running the offense, but they slipped into a slump once Reaves was injured and LeBron was forced into a secondary scoring role. That is something that has to change in the coming weeks, even if it means James taking a step back to allow Reaves to thrive.
Currently, the Lakers are 28-17 and fifth in the Western Conference.
