The start of training camp is just around the corner for the Los Angeles Lakers and then they will kick off the preseason on Oct. 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Palm Springs.
With that being the case, a number of players have been working out at the practice facility every day to make sure they are ready to go when training camp kicks off.
The Lakers have a brand new coaching staff so there likely has been a feeling-out process during workouts. One player who unsurprisingly seems to be standing out though is Austin Reaves.
Undrafted rookie Quincy Olivari, who recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers, spoke with Lakers Nation’s own Trevor Lane and named Reaves as the player who has impressed him so far.
“My first day, I would say for the first time we did fives where it was kind of more controlled… Austin Reaves is really, really good at basketball,” Olivari said. “It’s just different when you’re out there, how smart he is, how he can just bait you into certain things, certain passes he makes, him in the pick-and-roll. I was like ‘Dawg, I can’t wait to learn from him.’ I mean, everybody is out there doing well, but I remember I was just like yeah, Austin Reaves, he’s really good.”
Reaves’ game has progressed in each of his three seasons with the Lakers and it appears that will be the case once again going into Year 4.
And unlike a year ago when Reaves played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup over the summer and reported to camp with some tired legs, he looks to be fresh and ready to go this season. Reaves still played in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season despite his stint with USA Basketball.
It’s cool to see a guy like Olivari wanting to learn from Reaves considering he is in a similar spot as an undrafted free agent. Reaves impressed the Lakers during his first offseason with the team to earn a standard NBA contract, and now Olivari is looking to do the same.
Shaquille O’Neal expecting ‘rough start’ for Lakers
When discussing the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal recently said that he envisions a ‘rough start’ to the season for them. The reason he gave was them having a new head coach without experience in JJ Redick, who may have trouble commanding the attention of a locker room filled with veterans.
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