Austin Reaves to return soon for Los Angeles Lakers

It would be stating the obvious to say the Lakers have missed Austin Reaves.

But what the last 1 ½ months have made clear is how much the Lakers missed Reaves.

A sentiment that would’ve been almost unfathomable nearly a year ago when the Lakers traded for Luka Dončić, and already had LeBron James on their roster, was there would be a variety of statistics that suggest Reaves is arguably just as impactful as his star teammates. 

Consider this: Reaves has the team’s best individual plus/minus (plus-2.5) and second-best individual net rating (3.3 points per 100 possessions, just behind Marcus Smart’s 3.6 net rating) among Lakers who’ve been on the floor for at least 300 minutes.

Statistically, the Lakers’ halfcourt offense has benefited the most this season when Reaves has been on the floor compared to any of his teammates — including Dončić, an MVP-caliber offensive savant in the prime of his career. 

But there are also the simple numbers that show how much the Lakers miss Reaves: he was playing at an All-NBA level, with averages of 27.8 points, 6.7 asists and 5.6 rebounds, before calf injuries limited him to just 37 minutes in two games since mid-December. 

And the Lakers have gone 10-10 since Reaves initially left the lineup, including the two games he played but was limited in, after starting the season 17-7.

“Certainly the thrust and the movement,” Coach JJ Redick said about what the Lakers have missed about Reaves. “And just the pace. He’s a violent basketball player. And we missed that. His defense, I thought the second half of last year, was really good. Having been with us now for two years, we miss his ability to consistently execute. And those are 36-39 minutes of consistent execution on the defensive end. He knows our stuff. He executes it well. His level of intent on that end is really good every night. 

Redick added: “We talked a lot earlier in the season about his leadership and he’s been very engaged during this stretch when he’s been out. He’s a connective tissue for us on the floor and we’re all looking forward to getting him back.”

Redick said before Saturday’s road win over the Dallas Mavericks that Reaves’ return to the floor should happen “sooner on this trip rather than later” — possibly as soon as Wednesday’s matchup against the Cavaliers.

And with the Lakers stepping up their playing over the last week, winning three of their last four games, there’s optimism around the team once he’s back in the lineup. 

“[We] need his dynamic,” Rui Hachimura said. “We had a great start the first 20 games and he was the biggest part of those games. We are excited for him to be back.”