The Los Angeles Lakers are better on defense with Austin Reaves on the floor, despite all the claims that he is a negative defender and the team will have defensive issues with him as the number two. LA was 3.6 points per 100 possessions better defensively with Reaves and has been better in three of his five NBA seasons, according to Databallr. AR has issues defending on the ball, but he is an average defender and far from a problem for the Lakers on this end of the floor.
Last season, Reaves had a 0.10 D-LeBron, which ranked in the 60th percentile. It was the best mark of his career, but that shouldn’t be surprising. The 28-year-old is just entering his prime and continues to improve.
Some fans talk like AR is one of the worst defenders in the NBA. He is not an elite athlete and lacks the ideal wingspan, but the 6’5 wing has a high basketball IQ and competes hard on this end of the floor. Reaves is an average defender, and fans shouldn’t be worried about the pairing with Luka Doncic.
Lakers know how to use Austin Reaves on defense
The Lakers had a 112.3 defensive rating with Reaves on the floor, according to NBA Stats. That would have been tied with the eventual champion New York Knicks for seventh in the NBA if LA had produced it over the full season. The hallmark of a true title contender is being top ten on both ends of the floor. The Lakers have an elite offense, and the defense should be better this season with the addition of Walker Kessler.
Head coach JJ Redick knows how to use Reaves. The Lakers signed Quentin Grimes to be the point-of-attack defender. AR will be used as an off-ball chaser. This limits teams from exploiting his on-ball struggles and allows Reaves to better use his high basketball IQ to impact the game.
The 28-year-old wing rated well in perimeter isolation situations last season. If teams want to try to take Reaves on, he will keep fighting. Effort is half the battle defensively. Reaves will always give it, even if his limitations make it impossible to get the stop against an elite scorer.
The Lakers will keep putting him in positions to succeed, which is massive defensively. Victor Wembanyama is the best rim protector in the NBA, but he is not the best perimeter defender. Role matters. Los Angeles’ defense is better than the sum of its parts because coach Redick has everyone in the best role for their skill set. Reaves would be a below-average rim protector, but he is slightly above average thanks to being put in the ideal spot.
Lakers don’t have an Austin Reaves problem on defense
Reaves put up All-Star numbers last season, but injuries prevented him from making the squad. He is unquestionably the Lakers’ number two option after LeBron James’ departure. Expect him to put up monster numbers, but his shooting is worth watching. AR is much better off the catch, but those attempts will be down.
Redick is already figuring out what defensive schemes suit his new-look roster. The Lakers have nine new players from last season. They will rely on Grimes, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle for point-of-attack defense. Reaves will be more of a tertiary option that navigates off-ball screens and uses his IQ to create turnovers.
The Lakers are not stressed about how to use Reaves defensively. Redick is entering his third season as head coach and knows exactly what the wing brings. AR will be back in the right spots and holding his own defensively. He won’t suddenly be a lockdown option, but Reaves is far from the worst defender in the NBA.
For those worried about the pairing with Luka, the Lakers had a 111.7 defensive rating when they shared the floor last season. They would have been tied with the Celtics for fourth-best in the NBA over the full season. Redick has also figured this out.
The Los Angeles Lakers should be better defensively this season. They have an elite rim protector and rebounder anchoring things in Walker Kessler. Austin Reaves just has to play his role and help make the whole better than the sum of their parts. He did that last season and should only be more comfortable with added experience and the confidence from being chosen as the second star over his mentor.
AR is better than he gets credit for, and his defense is not a problem for the Lakers. Plenty are tearing the purple and gold down after LeBron’s departure, but those fears are overblown. Doncic and Reaves give them a chance to defeat every team. Any concerns are overblown until fans see this team on the floor. Reaves will be competing on defense and making an impact. Whether fans choose to believe it is on them, but Reaves was above average last year and is still getting better.
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