The Los Angeles Lakers are headed to the playoffs after catching fire with a nine-game winning streak before falling to the Detroit Pistons earlier in the week. At the same time, the Lakers are preparing for a significant offseason, one in which they are expected to pay Austin Reaves handsomely.
“The Los Angeles Lakers plan to offer Austin Reaves a five-year, $240 million contract this offseason once unrestricted free agency begins, sources told Lakers Daily,” Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily wrote. “The Lakers have ‘no fear’ of losing the talented undrafted guard, who wants to spend his entire career with the Purple and Gold.”
Reaves is preparing for another playoff run, one in which he may need to take on a role similar to Jamal Murray.
“In other words — when Reaves and LeBron are on the court without Luka, can AR15 be the lead scoring option? Perhaps more importantly, when all three are on the court, are Luka and LeBron willing to step aside and let Reaves cook? That could be what stands between Reaves and a playoff takeover. In Denver, the hierarchy in the playoffs was never a problem; Michael Porter Jr. was a great third option, but was also willing to concede shots to Murray when he caught fire,” Lake Show Life’s Quinn Everts wrote.
The concern for Reaves right now is that he is falling back into a habit of settling for outside shots. That is not when he is at his best, nor is it what the Lakers need from him.
“That paints a clear picture of the skill that Reaves should be prioritizing. He should absolutely continue to shoot the three, but his overemphasis on the outside shot is about more than numbers. He's sacrificing driving opportunities to fix a shot that isn't working when the Lakers need him to be more assertive in attacking the basket. Considering Redick already called this out, one can only hope that the message will resonate with Reaves before the playoffs roll around and such trends can negatively impact a series,” Lake Show Life’s Maxwell Ogden wrote.
Reaves is a smart player, and he will likely adjust, but he cannot afford to disappear during a playoff series. The Lakers will need him at his best, especially with the defensive attention teams will throw at Luka Doncic.
With a major payday potentially on the horizon, the last thing Reaves needs is a poor postseason showing. If the Lakers want to make a deep run, they will need him to attack the basket and play at his highest level.
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