Austin Reaves’ amazing 51-point near triple-double last night led the Lakers to their second straight win without LeBron James and made a convincing case that L.A. already has the perfect long-term co-star for Luka Doncic.
While the Lakers have always publicly treated Reaves as untouchable, injuries to the starting point guards on multiple contending teams have raised Austin’s value as a trading chip to more than two first round picks. There have been numerous proposed trades where Reaves and matching salaries could get the Lakers the starting 3&D small forward and quality rim-protecting backup center they need without giving up their one pick.
The case against the Lakers re-signing Reaves has always been whether he was worth the $35 to $40 million it could take to prevent a team like the OKC Thunder from stealing him. Austin answered that question last night.
The prospect of a perennial top-five offense with a potential 50-point triple-double lead guard on the court for the entire 48 minutes of every game is now the core foundation around which the Lakers rebuild their roster.
What we’re seeing from the Luke Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the team without LeBron James is a wonderful and promising preview of what the Lakers could potentially look like once LeBron James is no longer here.
The Lakers still need an starting 3&D small forward and shot-blocking backup center but the offense of Doncic and Reaves, defense of Smart and Vanderbilt, and support of Ayton, Hachimura, and LaRavia has been great.
JJ Redick deserves kudos for how the Lakers have rebounded after their disappointing opening night loss to the Warriors. Lakers are proof of the value of the ‘Next Man Up’ mentality as they determine their own destiny.
Maybe he’s been reading your posts, Tom 🙂
We’ll see tonight just how real Austin Reaves is.
If I were the Blazers, I’d double him every possession.
Make Austin run around like Steph to get open.
Wear him out. Lakers don’t have another distributor.