Austin Reaves, the 25-year-old shooting guard, has made significant strides in his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers. After averaging just 7.9 points and 2.8 assists per game as a rookie, he more than doubled his scoring average this year, finishing with 20.2 points and 5.8 assists per game during the regular season.
Reaves’ impressive performance was capped off by a strong finish to the regular season, where he averaged over 24 points per game in March and April. However, his production declined significantly in the playoffs as he struggled to find consistency on offense.
In five games against the Minnesota Timberwolves during their first-round playoff series loss, Reaves averaged just 16.2 points per game while shooting only 41% from the field and making just one of nine three-point attempts.
Despite his disappointing playoff performance, many within the Lakers organization remain optimistic about Reaves’ future prospects.
"Everyone loves him within LA’s front office," said Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times in an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on First Take. "I think there are some people who would say that if you’re looking at it purely from an analytical standpoint that maybe Austin is not quite good enough for what they need him to be."
However, Woike also noted that there aren’t enough good centers available on the market right now, which would make trading for one financially unfeasible given Austin’s low salary compared to others at the same position level around the league today.
Reaves has been playing alongside Luka Doncic since being traded to Dallas last week, but it remains unclear how long they will be together as teammates after this summer when Doncic becomes eligible for free agency again next summer.
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