Antonio Reeves didn’t realize at the time what kind of hot streak he was on.
After all, he was just doing what he has known how to do since taking all those jumpers he took as a kid growing up in Chicago.
And for Reeves, the New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie guard, those jumpers just kept going in.
It was a memorable 2½ game stretch for Reeves, starting with last Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and ending with Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Reeves went a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in Minneapolis, including knocking down his lone 3-point attempt. He then drained his only shot attempt Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, also a 3-pointer. And he followed that up by making his first six shots against the 76ers, including five 3-pointers. He finally missed a shot with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. But not before making 12 consecutive shots while he was in a zone that he didn’t even know he was in.
“I was just out there competing,” Reeves said. “I wasn’t worried about the misses or the makes. Every shot I threw up, it went in.”
For a while, there was no misses to worry about. A dozen straight shots went in. Making 12 straight shots is what you expect from a player like Zion Williamson who is constantly attacking the rim. But you don’t typically see it from a guard who makes his living mostly from the perimeter.
But shooting is what attracted the Pelicans to Reeves in the first place. It’s why they selected him out of Kentucky in the second round of last year’s draft.
“He’s doing fantastic,” said Pelicans’ coach Willie Green. “The thing he’s doing is building on what he already has. He really comes in and works on his shots. We see that carry over when he does play. And he’s becoming a really good defender.”
Reeves says he’s always been able to shoot the ball well, thanks to his dad and the other coaches he had growing up in Chicago. He spent plenty of time in the gym then and still does today. Putting up 500 to 1,000 shots per day is a part of his normal routine as he strives for the same type of success that his childhood heroes had.
He grew up watching shooters like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Richard Hamilton. Reeves could be on the court with Curry Friday when the Pelicans host the Golden State Warriors. It would be Reeves’ second time on the court with the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history.
He still remembers the first time when the Pels and Warriors met in November.
“A dream come true,” Reeves said. “Stepping on the floor with him is crazy to me. I stepped on the floor and guarded him and it was unreal. Definitely joyful to be out there.”
Reeves also grew up admiring fellow Chicago native Derrick Rose, the NBA’s MVP in the 2010-’11 season. Reeves would watch Rose’s games on the television in his grandmother’s kitchen. Reeves, like Rose, attended Simeon High School in Chicago, a basketball powerhouse that has produced NBA players like Nick Anderson, Jabari Parker, the late Ben Wilson and former LSU women’s basketball star Aneesah Morrow. Now Reeves is doing his part to become a household name, too.
His teammates like what they’ve seen so far. When Elfird Payton goes to the gym to get some extra shots up, Reeves is usually there.
“He’s super confident,” Payton said. “And he’s still learning, which is kinda scary. He’s a listener and takes coaching well. He has a chance to be a really good player.”
Reeves has bounced back and forth this season with the Pelicans and their G league affiliate Birmingham Squadron. He’s played in 35 games for the Pelicans. His best performance came in November when he scored 34 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 34 points are the fifth most points scored by a Pelicans’ rookie in franchise history. He played 40 minutes in that game. The 24 minutes he played Monday were his third most of the season. His 3-point percentage has risen to 40.8% after his recent shooting success.
With just nine games remaining, Reeves would like to see that percentage go up even higher.
“Just keep hunting them,” Reeves said .”Keep continuing to try to get open and teammates are going to find me. So continue to read what the defense gives me and continue to make open shots.”