Much of the focus when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic was on how he and LeBron James would play off each other. However, arguably just as important was the chemistry that would need to be developed between Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Reaves was just coming into his own as the primary creator for the Lakers before the trade and he would have to make a big adjustment. Some wondered whether Reaves’ numbers would fall off, but on the contrary he has continued to play exceptionally for this team, especially as LeBron remains out with his groin strain.
That was certainly the case on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs as Reaves led the Lakers with 30 points along with seven rebounds and six assists in the 16-point win. Even though Doncic struggled shooting on the night, the attention he commands still makes things easier on the rest of the team and Reaves spoke to that following the win.
“I just thought we played hard to start the game. We continue to build that chemistry, and I think you can tell by the way we’re playing. Everybody’s sharing the ball,” Reaves said. “Luka obviously causes so much havoc for teams’ defenses that the majority of the time, you’ve got to blitz him, and then you’re playing four-on-three. It’s just a fun brand of basketball, and after a long road trip that we were really bad on, it’s good to be at home and get back to winning.”
As Reaves noted, teams blitzing and trapping Doncic creates advantageous situations for himself and he is more than capable of taking advantage of them. Whether it’s getting a good look for himself or finding an open teammate for an open three or layup, the Lakers are regularly creating excellent looks offensively.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick also spoke about how Reaves has benefitted playing off Doncic.
“Yeah, I think just [with] Luka and having Austin as the next passer a lot of times, when they’re two on the ball or they did work double or were in a heavy shift from the nail, having AR there as the guy that can either shoot or create the blender with his thrust on his drives was really good,” Redick said.
“Then, that group that was playing end of first and start of second with Dalton [Knecht] and Vando (Jarred Vanderbilt), just playing out of our horns and our movement stuff out of horns, we got a lot of good stuff out of that [with] AR, Dalton, Vando and all of them.”
The fact that they are doing this with LeBron out just speaks to the overall improvements Reaves has made in his game. He is a high IQ player who always knows where to be and how to create space for himself. Teams must always account for Doncic, which just makes life easier and that will only get that much better when James is back on the floor and this Lakers offense really reaches its full potential.
Lakers’ Austin Reaves believes Jordan Goodwin deserves a standard NBA contract
Another important player to the Lakers success recently has been Jordan Goodwin. Still on a two-way contract, Goodwin has become a trusted piece of JJ Redick’s rotation and, at some point, the Lakers will need to make a decision on his contract status. In Austin Reaves’ mind, the answer is simple in that Goodwin is deserving and should get a standard NBA contract.
“Yeah, I mean it’s not conventional. He’s been on a standard contract, and he’s been on a two-way [contract]. Back and forth, the G League and then us,” Reaves said. “Then a couple people got hurt, and then [he] got the opportunity to get out there and show what he can do.
“I told him, I think it was that first game that we played Indiana, he had a hell of a game, and I just told him, ‘I don’t know how out of 30 teams you’re not on a regular contract.’ [It’s] the way that he can affect the game without having the ball in his hands. I bet you anybody that’s played with him enjoy it because he does all the things that are right. Big shout out to him. He’s been a huge factor for us.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
