The Los Angeles Lakers have two games remaining in their preseason schedule before kicking off what they hope to be a championship-contending 2023-24 campaign. They play Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday then close things out against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday of next week. Lakers guard Austin Reaves has a couple of missions for those final two games.
Reaves has had himself an incredible summer, inking a new four-year contract to stay with the Lakers for the foreseeable future before spending the latter half of the offseason playing for Team USA at the World Cup. Now, he’s back with the Lakers and putting full focus into helping compete for a title.
He spoke about what he wants to accomplish for himself in the final two preseason games, but more importantly, what he feels the team needs to get done during those two games.
“Number one is just build team chemistry,” Reaves said. “We have a good amount of new guys that are going to play a lot of minutes and really just getting that unspoken chemistry with them, knowing exactly what we’re going to get to, how we’re going to play and things like that. But for me, I played in the summer, wind was pretty good and then I took a little break. I’m fighting that back now. So getting out there, running around, playing hard just to get back in top shape as I was in the summer.”
Getting back into game shape while building team chemistry are two intangibles that are going to help the Lakers go far this season. Reaves is going to be integral in everything L.A. does in 2023-24, and it’s clear that his priorities for the preseason are in the right place.
Reaves’ team-first mindset is what makes his preseason technical foul call on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors that much funnier. He was called for the technical at the 7:35 mark of the third quarter after a shooting foul on Stephen Curry.
He explained what happened and even though he was unsure why he got called for the technical, he still apologized to the referee.
“I don’t know. That’s a great question,” Reaves said of why he got the technical. “No I just felt like there was a similar play in the first quarter when I pump faked and tried to step through towards the basket to shoot like a little floater. But I talked to the ref about it and he said it was two totally different plays, he said I fouled Steph (Curry) with my hands. It wasn’t my jumping towards him. And I just asked him — because he said it was going into a shooting motion but I didn’t think people shot like that — and we talked it out and, yeah, I don’t know. My dad texted me about that and I apologized to the ref.”
Regardless of the silly technical foul, Reaves is ready to help the Lakers in their quest for an 18th championship in franchise history. And if he can get back into comfortable game shape in the final two preseason games, he can be his most effective right when the campaign begins.
Reaves shines in loss to Warriors
Although the Lakers did lose to the Warriors 129-125, Reaves certainly looked to be his usual self with a strong effort. He finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals on 6-for-9 from the field in 24 minutes.
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