Reeves’ season is over.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost 111-113 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 23.
The Lakers’ season ended in the conference finals. After rebounding from an early season slump, the Lakers made an impressive run and pulled off a series of upsets in the playoffs.
One Lakers player’s stock has skyrocketed over the course of the season. Austin Reeves.
In his rookie year, Reeves averaged 7.3 points as a member of the Lakers’ rotation in the 2021-2022 season. While the Lakers struggled, Reeves found his footing in the league.
Gaining confidence, Reeves took a big leap forward this season. He averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 52.9% shooting from the field and 39.8% from three-point range in the regular season as the team struggled with injuries to key players.
Reeves’ play continued in the playoffs. He served as the team’s de facto third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 44.3 percent shooting from three-point range in the playoffs, proving that he can play on the big stage. He really came into his own in the Conference Finals, scoring 21.3 points.
Thanks to his stellar performance this season, Reeves is one of the Lakers’ current fan favorites. With so many players hitting free agency, keeping Reeves is a top priority for Lakers fans.
General manager Rob Pelinka also had positive things to say about Reeves. “Austin Reeves is a gym rat, he’s unselfish, he plays for the team,” Pelinka said. We’re proud to have him as a part of this franchise.”
With his tremendous growth, Reeves is sure to command a lot of attention on the market. His price tag is also not easily predictable. So what does Reeves think about staying with the team?메이저놀이터
First of all, Reeves talked about how he finished the season: “I learned a lot from the playoffs, and I learned the importance of being mentally sharp. I learned how to deal with being mentally and physically tired,” he said.
He expressed his desire to stay, saying, “I want to be with the Lakers, this feels like home.” But he left it open-ended, saying, “This is definitely where I want to be, but we’ll see what happens.”
What options will Reeves have in free agency? In addition to Reeves, the Lakers will have to make decisions about the future of key players like D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.