Austin Reaves Discussion: Overachiever Who Underachieved

Since he got the spot, I guess he should have a thread

 

This makes sense. He's young, has raw talent, won't complain about playing time (or lack thereof) and saves the team tax money.

 

Agreed. This really shows they are thinking long term as well as short.

 

SCRAMBLIN'!!!

 

@sirronstuff your apprehensions were unfounded quota achieved

 

I get that he’d really benefit by practicing with, and learning from our squad this season, but why not get him real playing time in the D league? And he was a 2-way contract, which means other teams couldn’t poach him, right? What am I not understanding?

 

i thought he looked really good in summer league, but not enough to warrant converting the two-way for this year. we're overloaded at the only position he can credibly play (sg).

this is either a cost-saving move (which would disturb me, quite frankly, after the eagle fiasco) or an extreme vote of confidence in reaves (they want to develop him full-time with the big boys right away).

again, i hope it's the latter.

 

He better spend every day shadowing a vet. We may never see another team with this much experience in it, he better not squander that.

Also, every time that Dwight goes into the gym I want AR to follow. He doesn't have to bulk up to that degree, otherwise he'd be the white Mo Evans (still not convinced he wasn't a TMNT). But he can pick up good habits from him and bulk up his frame.

 

TMNT?

 

and yes, this was the big thing that stood out in the negative for reaves. i don't think he can really put on serious muscle given his frame, but he looked kinda soft and thin. again, reminded me of a smaller joe ingles in almost all ways. probably a better defender at the same age/stage, though.

 

Maybe his camp outing resulted in GM Bron giving his stamp of approval.

 

Excelled beyond wildest expectations in Vegas? In the rookie gopher role?



Actually am surprised he was invited to Vegas. Yeah Lakers (Bron and AD too?) must like him. Would love to see the whole list of who was invited.

 

Looks like they just wanted a rookie to traditionally haze:Westbrook Come Here2:

 

HAH! Well done …. outstanding use of that gif. Where do all of those come from?

 

Then again, not hard to assume he's already improved past his college "game" .... here on display against Gonzaga no less.



Doesn't have AC's athleticism coming out but also known for his defense like AC was and better in all other skill aspects of the game .... straight from college?

 

HA!! Pumping myself up here with a new kid to root for. Looks like our scouting staff and FO has done it again. Takes a chance on himself because Lakers like him and opts out of a draft where he's ranked all over the middle portion of the 2nd round by many ..... and plays well enough in the short period of time to first be signed as a 2 way and then actually makes the Lakers 14 man roster skipping over G-League entirely.

https://theathletic.com/2739070/202...los-angeles-lakers-heres-what-theyre-getting/ By the way for bleeps and giggles I clicked to see what it costs for The Athletic to be able to read these articles myself a few minutes ago, and it was was 50% off $2.99 vs 6.99 monthly (paid yearly) and you can do it with Paypal. Boom! Done!

Austin Reaves goes to the Los Angeles Lakers: Here’s what they’re getting


By CJ Moore Jul 30, 2021 4
It’s rare to find a true three-level scorer in basketball these days, but Austin Reaves is that guy. At 6-5 with an excellent handle, great spacial awareness and a jump shot, he can score at the rim, from mid-range and long range.

The do-it-all senior led Oklahoma this past season in scoring (18.3), assists (4.6) and rebounding (5.5). And while OU’s stay in the NCAA Tournament was short (just two games), Reaves, 23, was one of the most impressive scorers of the tournament, averaging 25 points and putting up 27 against Gonzaga in a game where he showed off the entire scoring package.

“He’s a cross between Kirk Hinrich and Donte DiVincenzo, a guy that can dribble, drive, pass it,” former Sooners assistant Carlin Hartman says. “I know he didn’t shoot a high percentage with us at Oklahoma, but he’s a guy who can make shots, especially with NBA-level players around him. If he’s wide open, he can knock it in.”

The 3-point numbers at Oklahoma could make some skeptical about whether he’s a knockdown shooter. He shot just 27.7 percent from 3 in two years at OU. But he was a high-volume shooter who had to take a lot of shots off the bounce. In catch-and-shoot situations as a senior, he made 11 of 27 attempts. He also shot 45.1 percent from 3 in two years at Wichita State when he played more the role of spot-up shooter. He also made an impressive 47.8 percent of his mid-range jumpers as a senior, and for his career he’s a 84.4 percent free-throw shooter. Free-throw accuracy is often a good indicator of whether a player’s shooting will translate to the NBA.

“With the ball in his hands all the time, he got caught late clock a lot and needed to get shots up,” former Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger says. “We probably wanted him to be a little bit more aggressive looking for shots than what you’ll have to do at the next level. The NBA is more, be aggressive, but you don’t have to force things because you’ve got guys around you who can shoot it well too.”

Reaves played both guard spots in college, but he really took off late in his junior year and that continued into his senior season when OU moved him to point guard. Reaves had some huge scoring outputs during that time, starting with 41 points in the season finale against TCU in 2020. He had four games of 25-plus as a senior. He helps himself as a scorer by getting to the line frequently. He does a good job of changing speed and direction off the bounce, and he has a great pump fake, which led to a stellar 54.1 free-throw rate. Reaves shot 170 free throws in only 25 games as a senior.

His confidence shot up when he arrived at Oklahoma, and his redshirt year allowed him to dominate the ball for the scout team and explore what his game would look like as a primary scorer.

“He worked hard at expanding his game,” Kruger say. “He kind of came in with the reputation of being a catch-and-shoot guy, and I thought during that redshirt year, especially, he really worked on putting the ball on the floor, getting into the paint, creating for others. I thought he really was smart in working to expand his game.”

Reaves could morph back into more of the role he had at Wichita State, where he was relied upon as a spot-up shooter. He is not likely to be a primary scorer for the Los Angeles Lakers, obviously, but he could be a microwave-type guy off the bench on a two-day deal. He has a lot of self belief, and Hartman calls him the most competitive player he’s ever been around.

“The intenseness with which he competes, he’s going to compete to win,” Kruger says. “He doesn’t mind sticking his nose in there, doesn’t mind taking on a challenge. I think that’s his biggest asset, and he’s skilled, of course, but just his competitiveness really stands out.”

 

Russ, meet your new student.

 

Here’s a podcast interview with him on Spotify. Seems like a good dude. As fellow southerner, I love the southern drawl lol. Says his grandma was a huge Kobe fan.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MEuGuhL6UMAU9qT4rG6LV?si=ywDlQPHzQlGZbt2rs4P7OQ&context=spotify:show:6o1BaIBxeHUAwmoXrS7JMw&dl_branch=1

Connection between he and follow Arkansas native Malik Monk
https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...sses-relationship-with-malik-monk/2021/08/23/