Austin Reaves has been the Lakers' most vocal leader for roughly the past two years, serving as the bridge between the bench players, stars, and coaching staff, while Luka Doncic remains comparatively quiet and more reserved as a locker-room voice.
Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix
Austin Reaves has quietly become the most important voice inside the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Reaves has been the team's most vocal leader for roughly the past two years, filling a role that neither Luka Doncic nor LeBron James naturally occupies.
"We're going on year two or so of Austin Reaves being the most vocal leader," Woike wrote in a Q&A session with fans. "Luka Doncic is pretty quiet, LeBron James is way more of a lead-by-example player."
"Even before the Luka deal, Reaves was the guy who had bridged the gap between the back of the bench, the team's stars, and the coaches," Woike explained. "He was the most approachable and has been a critical behind-the-scenes presence."
JJ Redick wants Luka Doncic to grow as a leader
At the beginning of training camp, head coach JJ Redick pushed back against the idea that Doncic had not already shown leadership during his time with the Lakers.
"The idea that he wasn't in a leadership position or didn't have moments of leadership over the last season and a half that we had him is just false," Redick said, pointing to Doncic's minicamp in Slovenia.
However, Redick acknowledged that the changing roster has created a different leadership dynamic.
"I think it's different without certain people on the team. Naturally there's a void. We talked about that all summer. Luka and I spent the majority of the time talking about leadership," Redick revealed. "It's something he's really excited about."
The Lakers coach believes that leadership will develop naturally as Doncic gains more experience and maturity.
"There needs to be experience, and there needs to be maturity, and there needs to be age," Redick noted. "It just naturally comes with being an older player and being in the league for an extended period of time."
"Luka has a growth mentality as a player, and I don't think there's any reason to believe it won't extend to leadership," Redick continued. "He recognizes that the vocal side of things is one thing. The body language thing, both positive and negative, is another thing. That's a focus: just having great body language."
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.