Austin Reaves will start his second season for the Los Angeles Lakers this fall, with his intense work ethic reportedly leading him to bluntly ignore the team’s request to slow things down.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic looked at Reaves’ focus on improving his game, with Reaves’ agent, Aaron Reilly, explaining the reason behind the effort while also noting his client’s caustic response to the team.
“He (Reaves) understands the opportunity that’s in front of him,” Reilly said. “Not just next year, but in general. He’s carved out a nice little niche for himself. … As a matter of fact, (the Lakers) told him to take a week off, but he’s like, ‘F— that. I’m gonna work.’ So just looking forward to seeing the results.”
Reaves went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft before signing a two-way deal with the Lakers last August. Within two months, the team had apparently been impressed enough to give him a regular deal.
The fact that Reaves went undrafted likely lowered the expectations regarding any contributions he could make over the course of the season. In his 61 games, 19 of which were starts, the shooting guard averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Had the Lakers’ 2021-22 season gone according to plan, Reaves’ playing time would have likely been reduced. Instead, injuries and chemistry concerns led the team to fall from striving for a championship to not even reaching the playoffs.
Reaves’ motivation can be attributed to simple work ethic. Another reason might be connected to his triple-double in his last game of the past season.
Against the Denver Nuggets, Reaves managed to compile a triple-double by scoring 31 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. Adding to that memorable night, he collected two steals and blocked a shot.
The Lakers would love to see such efforts on a more regular basis. Right now, how much Reaves is used is dependent upon how new head coach Darvin Ham chooses to use him.
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