Getty Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
A lot has been said about the Los Angeles Lakers‘ chances of contending for an NBA championship in the upcoming season, with many believing their roster doesn’t boast the diverse talent necessary to compete at the top.
However, during a recent interview with Stadium’s Shams Charania, sophomore guard, Austin Reaves, revealed what he believes it will take for Los Angeles to once again be competing in an NBA Finals series.
Lakers’ Austin Reaves sits down with @Stadium: “I definitely don’t pass the eye test and I’m not the most athletic in the world, but I’ve figured it out so far.” On goal of starting role in 2022-23, LeBron and Kobe, believing he’s the best golfer in the NBA, and more.
“Health is the main thing. I mean, you can’t really avoid some situations, like AD’s (Anthony Davis) ankle injury last season. Tough situations like that are hard, but that’s the goal, the goal is to win every game we play, and we’re ready to get it started…We’ve all been in the gym, everybody on the team’s been working, and just preparing for the season to come,” Reaves told Charania during his September 13 interview.
Anthony Davis struggled with injury last season, competing in just 40 regular-season games, which was four more than he completed throughout the 2020-21 NBA Season, couple that with LeBron James missing time, and it’s easy to see why the Lakers struggled throughout the season.
Luckily, Reaves was a small shining light for Los Angeles, as the undrafted rookie impressed throughout 61 games, averaging 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 31.7% from deep and 61.6% from two-point range – giving him a significant platform to build off as he heads into his second season in the NBA.
Reaves Heaps Praise on LeBron
As an undrafted rookie, it’s probably beyond your wildest dreams to think that you will be playing a significant role for the Lakers alongside one of the greatest ever talents to play the game. Yet, for Reaves, that’s exactly what happened, as he shared the floor with LeBron.
During his conversation with Charania, Reaves explained what it’s like to play with an All-Time great, and how LeBron goes about helping improve the younger talent around him.
“I mean, he really puts you in the right spots for you to be successful but also for the team. He really is someone that can orchestrate and really hold a game. For me to be able to share the floor with him, you know I have these moments like the meme that are very special to me and, you know, hopefully, we can keep doing it,” Austin Reaves said.
AUSTIN REAVES PUT UP A LEBRON-LIKE STAT LINE THIS YEAR AND NO ONE NOTICED
Throughout his career, a lot has been said about LeBron’s unwillingness to play with youth, yet at this late juncture of his career, it would seem he’s willing to embrace a veteran leadership role, as he can regularly be seen coaching up the team’s less experienced players – both while on the floor, or in a huddle near the bench.
Westbrook Urged to Focus on Defense
Besides simply staying healthy, as Reaves suggested during his interview, the Lakers need to figure out how to best utilize superstar guard Russell Westbrook. Unlike modern-day guards, Westbrook’s jump-shooting ability leaves a lot to be desired, and unless he’s operating as the primary ball handler, his ability to impact the game on the offensive end is negligible.
Yet, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes there’s another way Westbrook can prove his worth to the Lakers, and that’s by utilizing his unique athletic ability on the defensive side of the court.
“Everybody keeps talking about the offensive end. And I get it, the spacing, and is Russell Westbrook going to be able to knock down corner three-point shots? Is he going to buy in to playing off the ball? But, I’m listening to what Darvin Ham has already challenged Russell Westbrook on, and that’s being a defensive guy and having one of the best defensive seasons of his career.
In my opinion, Russell Westbrook is the most athletic point guard to ever play the game of basketball. Do you know how many All-Defensive Teams have made in his NBA career? Zero. So, if I’m Russell Westbrook, I’m having the mindset coming into the season that my goal should be to make an All-Defensive team,” Perkins said.
If Westbrook is serious about salvaging his reputation, and continuing to represent the Lakers, buying in on defense is most likely his best chance to redemption, otherwise he might find himself consigned to a bench role, and that’s not ideal for a player earning $41 million this season.