Author: Monojit Mandal
The Los Angeles Lakers have big ambitions for Austin Reaves this season, hoping to unleash his playmaking skills and improve his role in the team’s offense. According to members of the Lakers’ organization, the team wants to run more plays through Reaves, recognizing his potential and his improvement during his first two years in the league. The allegation comes after Reaves signed a large maximum contract of $56 million with the team, indicating the Lakers’ confidence in his ability.
Although the move may seem apparent due to the big deal, Reaves’ success in the latter parts of last season, especially in the playoffs, suggests that now is the right time to extend his position in attack. Throughout the season, the young point guard showed great growth, absorbing the inspiration of experienced colleagues like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley and converting it into concrete gains on the court.
Reaves improved his shooting percentages from beyond the arc and the free throw line, as well as his rebounds, assists and points, both in regular season and post-season games. In addition, his playing time increased dramatically from 28.8 minutes per game to 36.2 minutes, demonstrating the growing confidence in him.
The Lakers improved significantly as Reaves emerged as a vital player for the team’s success. His youthful enthusiasm fueled an incredible playoff run, surpassing the expectations of an aging team that many questioned whether it would make it to the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers took notice of his services and rewarded him with a major contract extension, recognizing not only his previous achievements, but also envisioning his future position in guiding the franchise after the heyday of James and Davis.
The board and coaching staff didn’t sign Reaves to a maximum contract with the idea of keeping him as a secondary player. Instead, the aim was to empower him and maximize his potential as the club prepares to compete in the coming seasons against tough opponents such as the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers’ goal is to unleash all of Reaves’ scoring ability, relieving some of the pressure on James and opening up space for Davis to dominate the game.