Austin Reaves Discussion: Foundation Piece Or Trade Piece?

I thought he did progressively better at it as the season went along.

 

this was my main concern with running him at the point on offense. but really, nothing says that dlo/gabe can't advance the ball and give it to austin (or lebron) to initiate half court sets. and if austin has a sg on him, he can definitely handle against that pressure. it was really when he was matched up with smaller, much quicker guys that it became obvious he's not cut out for full-time pg duties.

 

Media Day interview with AR.

 

AD thinks analytics is pretty worthless. Interesting.

 

Yeah that take was hilarious he doesn't seem the smartest guy, his answer doesn't make much sense, but I think AD is traded before Christmas ahahah

 

reaves sort of expresses a similar idea without using those words, imo. i think as a player, you're focused on single applications instead of broad ones. applying statistics only works across many possessions and thus should inform an overarching strategy but not necessarily a single momentary choice.

 

Yeah I think it can be overrated, but I also think at least AD underrates it too much. If data is showing that I'm shooting 30% in contested mid J, I should probably stop shooting them. Or if we only score 20% of the times I iso, I probably stop that too. Or at least understand why it isn't working, is it the matchup, the dribbling or wtv

But agree with Reaves in the sense that a mid J isn't a statistically efficient shot but you should take some still. It's a good shot if you are good at it (and there's tons of players who are) because the defense nowadays is so focused in stop 3s or drives that such shot becomes more open

 

we don't know exactly what AD's referring to, there. it could be he's (legitimately) salty that defensive metrics will tell you gobert's better than him when it's simply not at all true. feel like that's the reference he's making when he says "categories they make up" and "numbers can say anything". his discussion of averaging 50 and losing is related in his mind because he equates all of that (analytics and traditional counting stats). he's oversimplifying, but he's not entirely wrong, and to his credit, he's been willing to take a back seat in terms of stats because he wants to win.

if AD was playing without lebron, he'd be a stat darling akin to jokic, imo. he was trending that way before he became largely an afterthought on offense with the lakers. lots of other players would complain about it, imo.

 

If Austin stays healthy, he's going to have a big season, IMO.

 

AR could hit a little better from the arc but he's all but hit his ceiling.

 

never like to hear that you don't know when the injury occurred.

 

Coach JJ Redick said Reaves (ankle) will start under a minutes restriction during Tuesday's preseason game against Golden State, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports

 

Cleared for Opening Night
October 21, 2024
Reaves said his ankle feels good and that he's ready for Opening Night against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

 

Better be good as they're going to put him defensively, of course, on ANT with the starters. All the lazy types that keep parroting he can't defend, yet he's always (out of necessity ... yes) on the most explosive opposing guard, and does a respectable, sometimes even impressive job on them all things considered.