Everyone wants to discuss how Austin Reaves must improve his defense to find success next to Luka Doncic. That is not an unfair ask. However, it will be just as important to see Reaves master his catch-and-shoot ability to thrive alongside the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
Jovan Buha pointed out how important it will be to bolster this area of Reaves' offensive arsenal on a recent episode of his podcast. The Lakers reporter even had examples to prove why this will be the case.
Buha said, "[Jalen] Brunson during the conference finals run, Kyrie [Irving] the finals run, they both shot 40-plus percent on catch-and-shoot threes. Austin needs to be a better catch and shoot player. That is the biggest thing I'm looking for with him this season."
The Lakers insider even admitted that Reaves faltering again in the NBA Playoffs would spark conversations about the direction in which the franchise goes. With a big contract decision creeping up, now is the time for the Lakers guard to earn his bag and spot in Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves won't get paid without Lakers having reason to buy in
During the 2024-25 regular season, Austin Reaves shot 39.9 percent from the field on 4.0 catch-and-shoot attempts per game. To his credit, most of this attempts came from beyond the arc.
39.9 percent from 3-point land suddenly makes his catch-and-shoot statistics a lot better. That would be a number that brought confidence, if it were not for the drop-off that happened in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Reaves only connected on 33.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot opportunities in the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 34.5 percent from past the 3-point line only looks marginally better, without eliminating the concerns altogether.
Buha, himself, admitted the NBA Playoffs are a small sample size. One series here, in particular, is even smaller. That being said, the postseason will never offer the type of extended look that the regular season will.
Unfortunately for Reaves, it will be what matters most, though, at the end of the day. Regular-season results are nice. However, a 50-win Lakers team losing in the first round, as a three seed, tells anyone watching all they need to know about how irrelevant the first 82 games can be sometimes.
The Lakers would be wise not to repeat mistakes of the past, like that of Brunson and the Mavericks, in their handling of the Reaves contract decision. Despite that, Reaves will need to hold up his end of the bargain and give Rob Pelinka and company every reason to not back down from a brand-new contract.