For the Los Angeles Lakers, guard Austin Reaves is about to have another big game. He just had a great run with Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Team USA came in fourth place in the event, but Reaves was able to build on that success in the 2023 NBA playoffs, where he became the Lakers’ third-best player. Reaves was given a four-year, $54 million extension by the Lakers over the summer, and Darvin Ham has already said that the guard will be given more scoring duties during the 2023–24 season.
So far in training camp, Reaves’ play in scrimmages has gotten great reviews from both the coaches and the other players. At this point, that’s to be expected given what he’s done on the biggest stages. It’s a good sign for Los Angeles as the training starts this weekend.
But Ham said that Reaves, like LeBron James, will not play in the first game against the Golden State Warriors.
“Austin won’t play either,” Ham said Friday after practice. “He was also great today. Because it’s only practice, I find it hard to even say that. Other guys will get a lot of reps. Austin was great in the scrimmage today, though.”
Reaves is not hurt, and Ham said that Reaves had a great practice day on Friday.
I couldn’t believe how he acted when we took off the training wheels today. The child looks great. He commands with and without the ball in his hands, just because he is sure of himself. Because of his toughness, intelligence, and skill, he was able to make goals and throw off the defense today.
This shouldn’t be a big surprise since Reaves has been playing professional basketball for two months and probably needs more time off to rest his body. Also, head coaches don’t usually play their players for long periods of time in the preseason. This is another sign that Ham will rely on Reaves a lot during the season.
Since Reaves won’t be on the court, new players like Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, and youngster Jalen Hood-Schifino will get more rest. Vincent will come off the bench to help D’Angelo Russell, and Hood-Schifino will probably play most of the season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.
With the regular season coming up, though, Reaves should get some work during the practice. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the other players when that time comes.