After losing to the Rockets and then being killed by the Lone Ranger, the two-game losing streak of the Lakers had another crisis in terms of rankings. Therefore, they must take the magic trick to stop the decline. Needless to say, the Magic with young players such as Paul Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markle Fultz and others are at least as dynamic as the Lakers and resilient. However, they met Austin-Reeves, who has been in hot form lately.
In the first quarter, Reeves shot 2 of 3 and 2 of 2 free throws and scored 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, which was a small test. In the second quarter, Reeves scored 10 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists on 3-of-6 shooting and 3-of-3 free throws in a single quarter, leading the Lakers to a 31-24 offensive climax. Entering the second half, Reeves was in unabated form, scoring 6 points in the third quarter and contributing 13 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers also won the final victory under his leadership.
By the end of the game, Reeves had 35 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on 9-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-4 three-pointers, plus 16-of-18 free throws. For a player who averaged 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season, Reeves' crazy performance felt a bit of a "dumpling". But in fact, Reeves has eaten dumplings several times in a row. In the past eight games, Reeves has scored double-doubles, averaging 19.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 57 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range. With such data laid out, the Lakers instantly had pressure: Reeves in the offseason is afraid to hit the big contract!
The contract extension aside, after all, the season is not over, and the league has relevant salary regulations, and Reeves needs to negotiate with the Lakers management. For now, the Lakers should pay more attention to Reeves' performance on the court. In the past eight games, Reeves has played at least a second-and-three level, with high offensive efficiency and consistent play. However, the Lakers can't rejoice too sooner because Reeves' outburst requires prerequisites.
The Lakers' roster has changed a bit this season, and the All-Star Game is a turning point. Let's take an all-star look at Reeves' changes. In the 41 games before the All-Star Break, Reeves made a total of 278 shots, including 135 three-point shots and 48.6 percent three-point shooting. It can be seen that Reeves' definition before the All-Star Game is basically a three-point shooter. Of the 135 three-point shots, Reeves made 110 shots as catch-and-shoot. This is very much in line with the characteristics of the Lakers before the All-Star break, with LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and others in possession of the ball, and the rest opening up space and ready to shoot.
In the 13 games since the All-Star Break, Reeves has made a total of 113 shots, including 42 three-point shots, and 37.2% of three-point shots, a significant decline. Of the 42 three-point shots, Reeves made 25 shots by catching the ball, and the other 17 by holding the ball. It's clear that Reeves has more opportunities to shoot with the ball after the All-Star Break, and his performance beyond the three-point line is more pronounced.
If you just look at the hands and three-pointers, it is too macroscopic, and the data such as the time of holding the ball is more detailed. Over the past eight games, Reeves has averaged 54.1 possessions per game, a season average of 39.1; an average of 4.2 seconds per turn, a season average of 2.2 seconds; an average of 4.61 seconds per possession, a season average of 3.42 seconds; and an average of 4.24 dribblings per ball, a season average of 2.91.
It is not difficult to see that Reeves has more time to hold the ball in the past eight games, which seems to be Reeves' best form, as a space goalscorer, Reeves has a good performance, but once he has the ball, Reeves' performance can be improved. So, the prerequisite for Reeves to burst is that he needs to have enough time on the ball. After all, the Lakers now have a lot of players who can hold the ball, Danjilo Russell, Dennis Schroder and James and other players are all ball-carrying players, and it is unknown whether Reeves' ball possession can be guaranteed.
In addition, whether Reeves can continue to play well has a lot to do with the positioning that the Lakers give him. If Reeves is positioned as a space shooter, his current performance can only be regarded as short-lived, and if he is positioned as a ball-carrying player, the Lakers' roster may need to be adjusted. At the same time, the Lakers should also pay attention to the question of how long Reeves' performance can last, and once the opponent begins to target defense, it is unknown whether Reeves can maintain his current performance. So, Reeves' performance deserves recognition, but not too sooner.
Ven/Duncan's laugh