(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
After proving himself to the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff last season, Austin Reaves became an everyday starter for head coach Darvin Ham, and he didn’t regret that decision as the young guard only got better with more time on the basketball floor.
Reaves continued that solid play into the NBA playoffs and became a consistent contributor for the Lakers as they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets, but that didn’t stop Reaves from playing during the summer as he suited up for Team USA and played for Steve Kerr during the FIBA World Cup.
Along with getting a lot of high praise over the summer and signing a new lucrative long-term contract with the Lakers, Reaves was looked at as a vital piece to the championship puzzle for Los Angeles moving forward.
Unfortunately for Reaves, he’s struggled in the first few games of the season and has begun to hear it from the fans, especially after going 1-for-12 from the floor in the loss to the Sacramento Kings.
On SiriusXM NBA Radio, Eddie Johnson makes the case that opposing teams are ready for Reaves when they might’ve overlooked him last year.
“He’s gotta fight through it”@JumpShot8 shares his thoughts with @TermineRadio on Reaves’ recent struggles. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/nVu5DCJa5D
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 30, 2023
Although Johnson makes a good point, it seems more like Reaves is in the first shooting slump of his career, and it’s getting overblown like he’s been overrated this entire time.
It has only been three games, and Reaves can instantly turn this around with one solid performance, but it remains to be seen when that will happen.
The post Former Player Notes 1 Big Change For Austin Reaves This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.