Austin Reaves has been enjoying a career year for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the imminent return of LeBron James is going to teach him a lesson that Kyrie Irving knows better than anyone. James is one of the greatest players of all-time, but when he is in a lineup, touches go his way. And that’s not something every player is always okay with.
Irving and James won a championship together on the Cleveland Cavaliers. But eventually, Irving wanted more of the spotlight. He requested a trade and moved onto the Boston Celtics (where things didn’t work out too well). Reaves is used to what it looks like to play next to James by not, but with his latest leap, perhaps he won’t want to give up the limelight.
Only time will tell.
**Will LeBron James take away from Austin Reaves’ growth?**
-----------------------------------------------------------
James and Doncic are one of the best duos in the league. For as long as James has been in the NBA, he’s been a dominant force on the basketball court, and he still is, even at 40 years old.
But the Lakers have been rolling. With James out, Doncic and Reaves have led them to an impressive record, sitting in the top tier of competition in a stacked Western Conference.
However, James is now slated to return from his injury at some point in the near future. As a result, he’s going to have the ball in his hands more. And Doncic isn’t going to give up his touches. It’s going to be Reaves who loses some responsibilities.
Perhaps he will be okay going back to the way things were. At least, to a degree. Reaves has been too elite this season to be stripped down to where he was last season, but still, he won’t be as big of a focal point in LA’s offense. That’s for certain.
But if he is okay with living with that reality to win games, then everything should be okay. Yet, if the Lakers start to lose, tensions could grow. Maybe Reaves would want things to go back to the way things were.
Even after winning a title, Irving grew tired of being the No. 2 guy behind James. So, how will Reaves feel when he has to go back to being third in the pecking order?
It may seem unlikely, but there is a non-zero chance that James’ return will eventually lead to an upset Reaves. And considering he’s [going to be an unrestricted free agent](https://lakeshowlife.com/jj-redick-might-be-making-austin-reaves-mistake-luka-doncic-knows-well) this summer, that’s not great for the Lakers.