Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves was an instrumental piece of what the team was able to accomplish this past season and was able to come to terms on a new contract this offseason to remain with the team.
Reaves is able to do a little bit of everything and is going to be a key part of this upcoming regular season to take some of the scoring and ball-handling responsibilities away from LeBron James. The undrafted guard has certainly proved his worth in the NBA and will look to build upon that with some summer reps with Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
While he has been nothing short of amazing this past season, Reaves talked about the importance of having Anthony Davis on the Lakers and what he is able to do on both sides of the floor. Davis and Reaves were both notable playoff performers for Los Angeles, Davis more on defense and Reaves on offense. In an appearance on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, Reaves talked about Davis’ impact and how he probably doesn’t get enough credit:
“He’s obviously a good person to have on your team, especially defensively. I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does for us as guards. Knowing you have him as a rim protector, you can be more physical, more aggressive, you can kind of shoot passing lanes and know if they get in the paint then it’s going to be tough to get two anyways. Like you said, he’s arguably right behind Bron as the most skilled player I’ve ever seen. Just his height, the way he moves, he can handle the ball, he can shoot it. There’s really nothing he can’t do.”
Throughout the season, there is discourse among the media and Laker fans talking about the performance of Davis on a game-to-game basis. It seems AD is hot and cold for fans, but Reaves knows the role he plays for the Lakers and his total skillset as a player.
It seems that Davis was one of, if not the best defensive player this postseason with his rim protection and ability to go out onto the perimeter. With the Lakers championship window closing fast, he will need to continue his defensive play and stay on the court to keep that window alive. Same goes for Reaves, who will be another instrumental piece in helping the Lakers get championship No. 18.
Austin Reaves addresses Taylor Swift dating rumors
While on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, there was funny interaction when Reaves was confronted about a Taylor Swift dating rumor that made the waves on the internet.
Reaves said the rumors are not true, although if he continues playing at such a high level for the Lakers, who knows what could happen.
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!