The brother of Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves exposed haters who were desperate to tweet about the Lakers guard following a bad game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
People really had “Austin Reaves sucks” tweets just waiting in the drafts for a bad game 😂😂
— Spencer Reaves (@SpencerReaves31) September 4, 2023
Reaves didn’t have his best game in Team USA’s loss to Lithuania, scoring just seven points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field. It seems like some people were just waiting to take shots at the former undrafted free agent.
The Lakers guard didn’t really get to put together a full stat sheet since he was in foul trouble the whole game, which limited him to just 12:42 of playing time.
This offseason, Reaves has really played well for Team USA, putting together solid games against Greece and Montenegro in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Against Greece, Reaves scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and added six assists. He’s been able to fill the stat sheet at times for this squad despite playing a bench role.
In Team USA’s win over Montenegro, Reaves made nine free throws on his way to a 12-point game. He also added three steals in the win.
Austin Reaves | Team USA Highlights
vs Montenegro
12 pts / 1 ast / 3 stls
(1/2 fgs, 9/11 fts)Closed the entire 4th.
Hit the clutchest 3.
Yes, I somehow made a ONE FG Highlight Reel. But it’s cus AR was active everywhere else.
Set again to the Captain America Theme. 🫡 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/eZ369KDFoH
— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) September 1, 2023
It figures that there are haters waiting to take shots at Reaves when he plays poorly, but it’s unrealistic to expect players to always have exceptional games. For Reaves, the loss to Lithuania is hopefully just a bump in the road, and he has a chance to bounce back on Tuesday when Team USA takes on Italy.
This has been an eventful offseason for Reaves after he put together some impressive numbers in the 2022-23 season. He averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc for the Lakers, helping the team make the Western Conference Finals.
In the playoffs, Reaves took his game to another level, averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 16 games while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from 3-point range.
This offseason, he was rewarded for the production as the Lakers signed him to a new four-year contract.
While there are some fans who don’t think Reaves deserves the recognition that he’s gained over the past year, the Lakers guard is going to be a big part of the team’s future.
