If "dumb shots" were an official NBA stat, Austin Reaves and Jamal Murray would lead the league in percentage. That's a compliment. By dumb shots, I mean the heaves, turnarounds, stepbacks at the end of the shot clock, sideways-falling floaters, the like. Shots that any other NBA player would be scolded by their coach for taking — but ones that Reaves and Murray have mastered to the point where they're not even dumb anymore.
When the clock winds down and the offense looks stagnant, there might not be two other players in the league you'd rather have with the ball in their hands. Jamal Murray has used this skill to become a demon in the playoffs (career postseason averages of over 23 points and 6 assists). If Reaves can do the same, it drastically raises the Lakers' postseason ceiling.
Granted, that's easier said than done. But there are some similarities in each of their games and roles within their respective teams. Murray is an elite complementary piece next to Nikola Jokic like Reaves is next to Luka Doncic.
That's an important distinction — we know the three-man lineup of Reaves, Doncic, and LeBron doesn't really work. How JJ Redick deploys that in the playoffs will be fascinating to watch, and could determine if Reaves can embody the Jamal Murray playoff experience that has made Denver so successful.
Austin Reaves should take a page out of Jamal Murray's playoff playbook
In other words — when Reaves and LeBron are on the court without Luka, can AR15 be the lead scoring option? Perhaps more importantly, when all three are on the court, are Luka and LeBron willing to step aside and let Reaves cook? That could be what stands between Reaves and a playoff takeover. In Denver, the hierarchy in the playoffs was never a problem; Michael Porter Jr. was a great third option, but was also willing to concede shots to Murray when he caught fire.
In February, Reaves averaged 12.4 field goal attempts per game. That needs to nearly double in the playoffs for the Lakers to be at their best, and for Reaves to achieve the label of "playoff riser."
There is never any question of how involved Murray will be in the Nuggets' playoff plans, and that freedom to cook definitely plays a part in his continued success in big moments. Making sure Reaves has that freedom, especially in the slowed-down, drawn out atmosphere of the playoffs, could be the key to a deeper run next month.