Austin Reaves Discussion: Will He Stay Or Will He Go?

I’m perfectly fine with the level that Austin is operating at. Did he have a not so great playoffs?
Sure, but this team was way out of balance after losing AD and Max, it’s two best defenders.
Austin will be great again this upcoming season.

 

Somehow some people are still underrating Stone Cold Austin HIM mother******* Reaves! He has improved every year, and isn't done yet. He is a superstar when given a 2nd option role, and he likely won't be peaking until he is a full time 2nd option - and he will be a GREAT 2nd option next to Luka.

This season alone, when he has been the 2nd option or better (LeBron, AD, or Luka out), he averaged 25.9 pts, 7.4 asts, 5.5 rebs, 3.1 3's, and 1.5 stls! On 46.7% FG overall, 54.0% 2P%, 38.1% 3P%, and 91.4 FT% in 17 games. The #'s are similar in the 5 games AR played with Luka and no LeBron, which bodes well for the future when LeBron retires.

If you want something truly eye-popping, in the games where Austin has been the 1st option, without LeBron, Luka, or AD, he went 41.0 pts, 10.0 asts, 7.5 rebs, 4.0 3's, and 3.5 stls!!! On 51.9% FG overall, 57.6% 2P%, 42.1% 3P%, and 100.0 FT%. Sure, it was only 2 games, but it was against a full strength Denver team with Jokic, Murray, Gordon, MPJ, and Braun, where Austin (37, 13 & 8) led a team that started Goodwin, Knecht, Vando, and Len, to a near victory where they led until just 48 seconds left, and were tied until 6 seconds left. The other game was against the near champion Pacers who were nearly full strength with Haliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, Siakam, McConnell, and Toppin, and yet the Austin-led (45, 7 & 7) Lakers were up double digits most of the game and won by 7. Obv this is small sample size that is unlikely to repeat too often, but the point is that Austin has by no means peaked, and still has far more to offer if given a larger role. It may not happen this season, unless LeBron takes more of a back seat, but it is extremely likely to happen in the future as Luka's #2.

 

if you ask that much of Austin every game, his skinny little white a** will break down in injury. He can't do what I do.""

---Lebron (Possibly)

 

I'd be curious if he can keep up that 25/5/7 stat line as the second option on high efficiency when teams lock in on him even further. If he can, not sure we need a 2nd option.

 

yeah I said recently that I’m not sure we need another #2 post-lebron, and that reaves is basically functionally as good as kyrie, whom some wanted to trade him for (along with literally everything else).

All the more reason to stock the roster with athletic defenders aside from Luka/reaves. The way to go at them is on defense; the more cover the better. Right now we have to cover lebron, too.

but yes, to me the question is durability, not ability. he's good enough--can he do it for 35mpg, 70+ games a year, and throughout the playoffs? so far, i feel like he's best with lower minutes, but maybe he can work up to it.

 

Austin is my guy, but you gotta step up and produce consistently in the playoffs, in order to be a legit 2nd option. Austin hasn't shown that he's a Kyrie level dude yet, I'm sorry. If we had traded Russ for Kyrie, instead of Tinkerbell we'd already have 18. Luka would still be looking for his 1st Finals appearance too. Kyrie Irving is nice..no doubt.

Irving was balling out in the Finals at 23. Even as the older guy, Kyrie is still more effective with a higher workload. It can happen, but I need to actually see it first.