Austin Reaves Discussion: How Much Is He Worth?

Some dudes are so fragile

 

Wrong on the “he gets lost immediately” when playing with Luka. Statistically, they have been the most dominant duo so far in the NBA. It’s when you add a ball stopping, no defense LeBron into the mix when things don’t work. They only do when he plays the Draymond role and even then, the defense is poor.
This team needs a couple real defenders who can shoot and less LeBron hero ball.

 

Absolutely. Could have been when strained it when Harper & Fox were giving him the business. Doesn't do well at POA or containing shifty guards that get downhill.

 

What other star is tasked with being the POA defender?

This stupid starting lineup with Rui is just slow cascade of s*** flowing downhil.
Lakers big 3 are neutralized, our 3rd quarters suck, and our players are not slotted properly so a guy like AR who a team would be trying to protect on defense just to conserve his energy is tasked with guarding the best offensive guard on the other side

That's lot of of energy

 

And with his final season stats likely coming back to somewhere between all star level and all NBA, plus good to very good playoffs if healthy …. he’s not going to be holding out for 40M, the big fear with the anti keeping him crowd. Hometown discount 34M plus or minus starting. IMO since the beginning of all the fear mongering. You don’t let talent like HIS get away. Just as bad or worse than the Eagle.

 

Yes, you do let his like talent get away for better talent; that goes without saying, it takes quality to get quality and he's our best asset going into next summer. I'm not advocating they trade him, but if the right deal comes along, it is what it is.

What other star is asked to guard POA? Well, I wouldn't deploy him that way because he isn't good at it. I've had to go through the list of other "stars", though, and I'm not looking for them to be good at POA but passable. He can be passable I guess; if it isn't a toe sprain, calf issues, or whatever else issue he fu**** has; buck up, get healthy, and go earn that contract.

 

You’re the one that was pushing we’re doomed from ever winning if they give him the 40M when it’s much more likely it will be around where I said. And for someone a whole lot better at POA for the PG slot defensively it shouldn’t cost us AR. Your “better fit” with a 3 and D type instead of AR will be buried comparatively on the offensive side of the ledger from what they lack that he has, plus his already proven play under the brightest of lights, truly having IT plus the Clutch factor…. also proven, and can run the Lakers offense and scoring effectively without pounding the ball and needing 25-30 shots to do it, if and when Luka is injured or rotates out of the game. If it comes to be he is injured more, then his salary can further be adjusted. And now you can throw up the MN series and whatever other less than his best games and ignore all the good ones post season.

 

this is no, way, shape, or form an answer to that question.

 

The last six NBA champions are the Oklahoma City Thunder (2025), Boston C Bags (2024), Denver Nuggets (2023), Golden State Warriors (2022), Milwaukee Bucks (2021), and Los Angeles Lakers (2020), with the C Bags, Nuggets, Warriors, Bucks, and Lakers winning in recent years and the Thunder taking the most recent title in 2025.
Here's the list of the last six

I don't think he's a top 10-15 player, IMO.

Listed the last 6 nba championships for giggles: Shai wasn't asked to guard POA, but he's a good defender; at the most, he's passable. C Bags have Brown & Tatum who are pretty darn good when locked in. Denver, had Jokic and Murray; Jokic had size; Murray is probably the best comp for Reaves and probably the best outcome in terms of what he can ascend to in the PO's. Curry had Wiggins. Bucks had Giannis, and the Lakers had AD, Caruso, KCP, Green, and LBJ was younger and could still play defense when he wanted to at the time.

He'll get paid next year, and it is what it is. I hope he keeps playing well and nets us a top 8 player to pair with Luka. That's all.

 

So the answer is that indeed max players aren’t tasked with defending POA.

 

Absolutely. Players with transcendent ability or skill who are asked to guide their respective teams through the regular season & PO's shouldn't be tasked with guarding the best offensive players all the time.

Austin isn't guiding is the reason we've won a few of these games, but he's no way, shame, or form the caliber of these players and he will no way be asked to guide us through a grueling PO series to get to the much needed 16 wins and a ring; he's asked to play with Luka and LBJ and play passable defense. That's it. Unfortunately, he's injured again, and who know if he won't break by May.

 

Yeah. POA defender is what we need. Clearly. As Suns game would indicate. Not a smart facilitator that can score or get to the FT line when the game gets stuck. POA defender, as LeBron clearly is capable of getting his when the going gets tough. Also is clutch.

Trade AR for POA defender right f***ing now, before his value drops further.

 

^No! You trade the scrap heaps for a POA. Trade Austin for a top 7-10 player.

That's how we roll. !!!

 

You are a lost cause

 

we need to keep reaves and acquire a POA defender (or two, preferably).

 

Not really. I'm pretty realistic.

Glad we won last night or this thread would be filled with the "we nead Reaves to win games!!"," LOL.

 

LOL. We need Reaves to win games. That game was an actual Exhibit A. The fact that we did win was purely out of luck of Suns being dumb enough to employ one Brooks, Dilon.

 

Regular season for sure. PO's? Verdict still out.

We actually had our best stretch of defense without Reaves for a portion of the game; I mean...

Lakers had a similar stretch in the first Timberwolves game when a Reaves game winner beat the Wolves at the buzzer. It happens.

Hopefully we win against Jazz because I'm a Lakers fan, and I know the Reaves fan club will go haywire and say, "he needs to come back, we need him now, we can't win a game without him, ever! he's HIM!,."

 

GTFO with this. It's Ingenuine and you know it. I mean... talking about mental gymnastics.

I am now certain you are "japago" on LG. Prolly joined there during your hiatus here.