Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has made it abundantly clear that he views Austin Reaves as a high-level talent. Even before he made the transition to the sideline, Redick praised Reaves as an underrated and dynamic player.
It hasn't taken long for Reaves to justify the hype and prove that he's perfectly equipped to shoulder the burden that will define the Lakers' season.
Reaves finished the 2023-24 season with career-best averages of 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game. It was a significant step forward for the former undrafted free agent, who has quickly become a fan favorite and essential talent.
After ranking fourth on the Lakers in shot attempts and usage rate in 2023-24, however, a significant change is coming in 2024-25.
Reaves may still slot in behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James, much as D'Angelo Russell could reemerge as the team's third scoring option. The pressure on Reaves has evolved, however, as the task ahead of him is bigger than steady improvement in the name of long-term ambition.
As James navigates his age-40 season, Reaves must now prove that he can carry enough of the four-time MVP's offensive burden to ensure that the Lakers superstar can remain healthy for the postseason.
Austin Reaves must simplify the game for LeBron James—and thus far, he is
In 2023-24, at 39 years of age, James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made on .540/.410/.750 shooting. Even in his record-tying 22nd season, the four-time MVP looks ready and able to continue to play at an All-NBA level.
For as capable as he may be of maintaining that unprecedented form this late in his career, there's an unfortunate reality Los Angeles must face: James has struggled to stay healthy during his Lakers tenure.
The obvious retort is that James played 71 games in 2023-24 and could experience similar success from an availability perspective in 2024-25. That's a dangerous assumption, however, that overlooks the fact that he missed at least 25 games in four of the previous five seasons.
The Lakers may be playing better under Redick than they did under Darvin Ham, but they can't afford to lose James for another 25 games in 2024-25.
Whether fair or foul, that places the burden of making James' regular season less taxing on Reaves. James will still shoulder a heavy workload on offense, but his 26-year-old teammate is proving more than capable of scoring and facilitating at a borderline All-Star level.
Even if Reaves can't close the gap and become a true All-Star in 2024-25, he's already proving that he can take on a large enough portion of the scoring and facilitating burden to simplify the game.
With Reaves taking on a bigger role on offense, James can pick his spots and preserve his energy. He can impose his will on a game when the team needs it most rather than having to run the offense every time Los Angeles comes up the floor, and should thus increase his odds of staying healthy.
It'll come down to more than just Reaves to make the game easier for James, but his ability to shoulder a star-caliber burden on offense could keep the Lakers' most accomplished player healthy for a deep postseason run.