The Los Angeles Lakers know Austin Reaves struggles to hit contested and pull-up 3-pointers, and the departure of LeBron James likely only forces him to take more of these problematic looks. AR is the number two option with James on the Philadelphia 76ers. Fans saw Reaves take an overall leap last season, but his 3-point percentage was the second-lowest of his career and right on the league average of 36 percent. That likely goes down further in a larger role.
Reaves has shot 34.1 percent on pull-up 3-pointers over 660 career attempts. He is a 38.7 percent catch-and-shoot option. This is not uncommon. Luka Doncic is one of the few players in the NBA who is more effective on pull-ups. Reaves is an elite shooter with his feet set and space to fire. Moving up on the scouting report makes those easy attempts fewer and further between.
Reaves signed a massive four-year, $184 million contract this summer that changed fans' expectations. He is being paid like an All-Star and must produce like one. Supporters know AR will put up numbers, but his 3-point percentage will dip as the shots get more difficult.
Austin Reaves struggles to hit contested jumpers
NBA Stats breaks down attempts by the distance the closest defender is away from the shooter. If Reaves is shooting a 3-pointer with the defender within four feet, he has made 30.5 percent over 187 career attempts. Even with a bit of extra space, Reaves has connected on just 32.1 percent over 496 tries with the defender four to six feet away.
The 6’5 wing thrives on wide-open looks. He has shot 40.4 percent for his career over 965 attempts. If Reaves gets open, the jumper is going in at an elite rate. That makes him the perfect number three option. While teams were trying to stop Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Reaves feasted on open looks.
Things will get more difficult now. Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler, and whoever starts at the four aren’t drawing the same defensive attention as King James. Doncic will be the top name on the opposition’s scouting report, but Reaves will unquestionably be second.
JJ Redick must find ways to get Austin Reaves open
The Lakers don’t want Reaves shooting pull-up threes or being forced to take contested jumpers. They added more shot creation and athleticism to play with more flow this season. AR is not elite at just firing from long range. He needs open looks that are created by someone else.
Head coach JJ Redick needs to get the blender going this season. The Lakers must drive and kick to get the defense to rotate. They need Doncic and Reaves creating open looks and forcing the defense to make difficult decisions. If the Lakers just decide to go isolation on every possession, Reaves’ efficiency will dip mightily.
AR will likely be a below-league-average 3-point shooter this season. For two straight years, the average has been 36.0 percent. Reaves shot that last season, and his percentage of difficult shots is only going up as he climbs to the Lakers’ second star. Don't expect 31.7 percent like he shot as a rookie, but fans shouldn't be surprised to see it drop for the second straight year.
Redick is an outstanding tactician. Expect him to have ideas on how to get AR open, especially when Doncic is off the floor. The Lakers added Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to let them do some playmaking. It won’t always be beautiful, but asking AR to do it all isn’t an efficient answer.
The Los Angeles Lakers need Austin Reaves to make more pull-up and contested jumpers as their number two option. He struggles to hit those shots, but that is what happens to the number two option on a contender. Teams will try to slow down Luka and get the ball in Austin’s hands. Reaves must keep improving in these areas, and fans should know this issue is something the Lakers will have to work through.
AR’s shot will be more difficult, and he has struggled to hit those attempts in his first five NBA seasons. LeBron James isn’t there to bail Reaves out. The Lakers will have to live with it. All they can do is put in the work to help him improve.
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