Austin Reaves made his long-awaited return from a calf injury on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets and his impact was immediately felt. JJ Redick managed to thread the needle perfectly between allowing his star to get back on the court and not pushing him beyond a safe limit.
It was said before the game that Reaves would be on a minutes restriction. Even with that limitation on his overall output, the Los Angeles Lakers pummeled the Nets in a decisive 125-109 ball game. The final score isn't even truly telling of how one-sided the matchup was.
Reaves, for his part, came off the bench to start the night. His minutes restriction clearly fell in the 20-25 range, because the Lakers star finish the game with 21 played. Reaves poured in 15 points, and added four rebounds plus two steals, registering a +10.
The scoring was inefficient. It was clear from watching Reaves that it will still take some time for him to fully find his rhythm again after the injury. Even so, the Lakers should continue to manage their star guard in a way that will ensure long-term health.
Austin Reaves’ calf injuries makes caution the only responsible option
Reaves hurt his calf not just once, but twice this season. The first time would have been enough to take the situation seriously. The second time around makes it a moment to provide extra caution and care.
His own teammate, LeBron James, explained really well why calf injuries are suddenly popping up all over the place. With the pace and space of the modern-day game, the calf has become the new high ankle sprain.
The troubling part about these injuries is the track record of them leading to Achilles tears. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton are all some prime examples to look at who had to eventually suffer that unfortunate fate.
No one wants Reaves, or any NBA player quite frankly, to end up in that boat. It's not like the Lakers guard needs to be put in bubble wrap before being sent out there to play minutes, but preventative measures should be taken at every step otherwise.
Reaves has emerged as a crucial player for the Lakers. Los Angeles looked incredibly mid while he was out. Beyond all the other reasons for caution and care, that should be yet another thing to remember regarding why keeping the 27-year-old healthy is pivotal.