The Los Angeles Lakers are 6-2 after defeating the Miami Heat 138-117 on Monday night behind a 42-point double-double from Luka Doncic. The NBA’s leading scorer will get the headlines, but Austin Reaves is putting up All-Star numbers on the league’s best offense. Through eight games, AR is averaging 23.6 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 35.8 minutes per contest. He’s doing all that with incredible efficiency.
Reaves has shot 53.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent on his threes after dropping 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting against the Heat. The Lakers outscored Miami by 21 with him on the floor. LA remade their roster around Luka. He wanted AR as his co-star, and both players have been incredible to start the season.
Reaves was on his way to being a first-time All-Star last season before injuries ruined his bid. He has been even better to start this year. The Lakers made him their unquestioned number two when LeBron James left the organization. Luka is on a heater, and teams are selling out to stop one of the MVP favorites. That has left Reaves to feast and make his All-Star case clear.
Lakers are unstoppable when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves share the floor
Reaves figured out how to play with Doncic last season. It is not easy being the co-star to a heliocentric superstar. Kobe Bryant went through multiple co-stars, and James Harden was no stranger to changing up his number twos. AR is embracing playing next to Luka.
If teams put two on Doncic, Reaves is ready to get downhill, sink an open look, or just force the defense to scramble. Dominating the minutes with their star duo is why the purple and gold have the NBA’s best offensive rating. The number jumps from 121.9 to 139.1 when the stars are playing together. LA has a plus-30.5 net rating and is top-ten on both ends of the floor.
Teams are forced to make tough defensive decisions. Do they let Luka cook in hopes of stopping everyone else? Is the best option throwing multiple bodies at Doncic to force him to give it up? There is no right answer. The best coaches like Erik Spoelstra will mix things up, but Doncic keeps proving it doesn’t matter.
Austin Reaves must clean up his turnovers
The one flaw for AR so far has been his 4.6 turnovers per game. That is the third-most in the NBA and has slowed down the offense when he’s running the show. The Lakers need Reaves to clean things up. He doesn’t have to be otherworldly like Luka. Just hold the lead and keep the offense rolling.
The Lakers have a negative 19.4 net rating when Reaves is on the floor without Luka. They must be better to cement his All-Star case. LA still has the best offense in the NBA, with Reaves averaging over 23 points per game. He won’t get hurt by this too much, but there are a few warts to pick at.
Austin Reaves must take better care of the ball and run the offense more efficiently. This is a small sample to start this season. Fans saw him play better as the floor general a year ago. Expect Reaves to return and leave no doubts about his All-Star case.
Lakers are a serious title threat with Austin Reaves
Teams who appear to be a threat to win it all get more All-Stars, especially when multiple players are putting up gaudy numbers. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paolo Banchero are the only two players averaging more points per game than Reaves while shooting better from the field. He is the only guard.
The Lakers are 6-2 and just dominated two Eastern Conference contenders on a back-to-back by scoring over 130 points in each game. The Heat and Raptors are supposed to be elite defenses, but they couldn’t stop LA’s attack.
The purple and gold have nine new players who are still figuring out how to play together. The fact that they have been this good bodes well for their title odds.
If Reaves is averaging over 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds per game when it is time to select the team, he will be a first-time All-Star. His backcourt mate will be joining him in Phoenix. If Reaves keeps shooting over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent on his threes. This could be a historically efficient season for a guard. That alone should make him an All-Star.
The Los Angeles Lakers want Austin Reaves to make his first All-Star appearance in 2027. He will get there by continuing to put up monster numbers and limiting his giveaways. If AR does that, he will be joining Luka for All-Star weekend in Phoenix. Expect his case to improve here, and the Lakers should have two All-Stars this year.
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