Austin Reaves showed flashes of brilliance during the 202425 regular season, but when the lights got brighter in the postseason, his impact dipped. His numbers fell to 16.2 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc, with just 3.6 assists per night, a noticeable drop from his regular-season production.
The Lakers first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves exposed some of those flaws. Minnesota threw wave after wave of tough defenders at Reaves, and the 26-year-old struggled to adjust. Former NBA forward and current analyst Richard Jefferson believes that needs to change if Los Angeles wants to make a deeper run next year.
So for the Lakers, if the Lakers are healthy, then its Deandre Ayton and Reaves have to play well, Jefferson said on The Sports Reporters. And dont forget Reaves is a very good player borderline All-Star. But once he got against those dog defenders that youre going to see every round of the postseason youre going to see dog defenders now all of a sudden, Austin Reaves looked like he regressed back to a 15-, 16-point a game type of player, which is a compliment.
So, can he make that jump where hes a 20-point-a-game scorer versus all of the dogs? Thats when you become a different man. And thats what they need from him and thats what they need from Ayton, he added.
The Lakers are banking on Reaves continued growth heading into the 202526 season. Hes improved his scoring and playmaking every year of his young career, but as Jefferson pointed out, the next step comes in the postseason.
If Los Angeles wants to compete for a title, Reaves will need to prove he can rise above those dog defenders, the kind that separate regular-season players from playoff stars.
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