The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers are currently ranked 14th in the West with a 2-10 record, and they sent away many players and draft picks in order to make together the big three of James, Davis and Will Shaw, and they still played very poorly this season. And the Lakers have not yet put this option to swing, because this season's draft picks have been traded to the Pelicans, and the swing is equivalent to helping the Pelicans compete for the championship.
This season's Lakers in addition to the big three, can be said to be "crooked melon cracked dates", people all over the world know that the Lakers need 3D players, but these players not only do not have 3, but also do not have D, which is really very melancholy. In the case of consecutive losses, the Big Three and the two main players Walker and Brown were scolded over and over, and fans inevitably began to target the team's sixth man, Reeves Jr. Some fans have counted several games and said that Reeves brushes his hair more than 10 times per game, and his hairstyle seems to be more important than basketball. People began to say that it was not worth it, and began to remember the excellent bald player Caruso sent away by the Lakers at that time.
As an undrafted pick in 2021, the Lakers signed Reeves to a 2-year base salary contract. At that time, the Lakers saw his potential, so they let go of the widely favored 3D substitute Caruso, hoping that Reeves could take on the team's sixth man responsibility and replace Caruso's position in the Lakers. For more than a year in his career, Reeves averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game, shooting 45.5% from the field and 32% from three-point range.
So far this season, Caruso has averaged 4.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block in 25.5 minutes per game, shooting 32.7% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range; Reeves played 25.8 minutes with 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.4 blocks, shooting 43.1% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range, which shows that Caruso is better than Reeves in defense and organization; Reeves shot high from the field, and the Lakers didn't need him to organize offense, and both were half-pounds and eight-two in three-point range.
Reeves is not only inferior to Caruso in steals and blocks per game, but his defensive efficiency is only 110.9 and ranks 136th in the league, while Caruso's defensive efficiency of 103.8 ranks 33rd in the league. And Reeves is very slow to react when facing opponents, often blocked by opponents and easily breaks through. Caruso, on the other hand, not only often leads the opposing star defender and even the forward line on the defensive end, but also has good results.
On the offensive end, Reeves did a better job. His catch-and-shoot and open-cut movement are almost on par with, if not better, Caruso. And he also has individual singles ability that Caruso does not have, and Reeves is better than Caruso when he breaks through and shoots at rhythm when he holds the ball. But Reeves is on the Lakers, the last thing the Lakers need is a single-player with the ball, with Will Shao and James two big cores of ball control, plus thick eyebrows with singles ability, Reeves' offensive ability is equivalent to a piece of chicken ribs for the Lakers, and it is a pity to abandon it tastelessly.
In general, Reeves' offensive ability is stronger than Caruso's, but his defensive ability is simply a heaven and an underground compared to Caruso, and the difference is not a star and a half. Both have a very positive attitude towards the game and are full of energy on the field. However, what the Lakers need most is 3D players, with fixed three-point ability and defensive ability is enough, Reeves is limited by physical conditions and lack of experience, and the defensive end is currently unable to meet the needs of the Lakers. But then again, Reeves' annual salary this season is only 1.56 million, while Caruso's annual salary is 9.03 million, so Reeves can't blame him for such performance.
However, watching Reeves holding his hair again and again in the broadcast will indeed be reminiscent of the bald boy of the Lakers back then, but unfortunately everything can't go back.