Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves hasn't played a game since Apr. 2. That includes missing each of the first four games of the Lakers' first-round clash with the Houston Rockets, during which Los Angeles has jumped out to a 3-1 series lead.
If there's one silver lining to be found, it's the fact that the Lakers' Game 4 loss bought Reaves time to make his 2026 postseason debut before the Oklahoma City Thunder are his opponent.
Los Angeles jumped out to a 3-0 series lead over Houston without Reaves or Luka Doncic. That made Game 4 an exciting opportunity to secure a series sweep, but the Lakers ultimately fell 115-96 while Doncic, Kevin Durant, and Reaves were all sidelined by injuries.
Though the result only heightens the sense of urgency to close the series out, it also gives Reaves a chance to face a team that isn't the defending NBA champions as he shakes off inevitable rust.
Houston is a 52-win team that's certainly capable of eliminating Los Angeles, but the purple and gold are working with a 3-1 series lead. That gives them three whole games to finish the job, which inevitably creates less pressure on Reaves to immediately perform at a star-caliber level.
Thankfully, if Reaves is ready for Game 5, he can begin to address a career of erratic postseason performances before the heavily-favored Thunder are on the schedule.
Austin Reaves could make playoff debut vs. Rockets rather than Thunder
Reaves began his postseason career by averaging 36.2 minutes per game on a Lakers side that reached the 2023 Western Conference Finals. It was a promising start, as he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 three-point field goals made on .464/.443/.895 shooting.
Unfortunately, Reaves has struggled to rediscover that form over his past two trips to the playoffs, with both offensive and defensive flaws on display.
Reaves averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 assists on 47.6 percent shooting from the field during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but he also shot a mere 26.9 percent from beyond the arc. In 2025, he averaged 16.2 points and 3.6 assists on an all-around underwhelming slash line of .411/.319/.857.
Beyond the numbers, Reaves struggled to generate consistent offense and was often exploited on defense against the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively.
With this trend established, Reaves would undoubtedly benefit from not facing the the No. 1 ranked defense in the NBA in his first game back. Instead, he can get his legs under him before the Lakers face an uphill battle where every loss would bring them one step closer to not being able to pull off an upset against a heavily-favored opponent.
With Reaves facing higher expectations than ever before, any preparation he can get before encountering the Thunder's unrivaled perimeter defense would be a blessing.
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