The Los Angeles Lakers have built a dynamic duo to which few can compare. Fresh off of leading the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Luka Doncic has been acquired by the Lakers to team up with four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
For as captivating as that duo is on a short-term basis, there's a different pairing that the Lakers need to prioritize determining the true potential of long-term: Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Reaves has become a somewhat polarizing figure in Los Angeles, due in large part to the uncertainty in regard to his upside. The start to the 2024-25 regular season certainly fueled that fire, as Reaves averaged 16.7 points and 4.8 assists on .440/.355/.774 shooting across his first 19 games.
What followed was a five-game injury absence that seemed to revitalize Reaves and set the stage for the best stretch of his career.
Since Christmas, Reaves has accumulated averages of 21.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made on .448/.358/.903 shooting. During that time, he's posted six games with at least 25 points and seven with 10-plus assists.
For as intriguing as that all is, there's a daunting truth that threatens to disrupt Reaves' emergence: A lack of opportunities for him to continue to grow.
Lakers must make Austin Reaves' upside a priority
The complicated reality of the Lakers' current roster is that Doncic and James should be the go-to players. They give Los Angeles a legitimate chance to win any playoff series they compete in, and that can't be downplayed or disregarded.
Both are proven postseason players who have put teams on their backs and delivered generational performances in big spots—on a consistent basis.
James is 40, however, and the Lakers can't afford to treat that truth as anything other than absolute. He's defying Father Time in an unprecedented manner, but there are two sides to the coin of a player doing something that has never been done before.
It leaves immeasurable room for praise, but it also creates the unfortunate side effect of an organization having no reference for how long said player will be able to sustain their quality.
Perhaps James will continue playing at an All-Star level until he retires several years down the road. Doncic's arrival should certainly help in that regard, as his ability to dictate the pace and tone of a game is close to unrivaled among perimeter players and should thus alleviate pressure from the 40-year-old star.
The path forward hasn't yet been laid, however, and that's exactly why the Lakers need to ensure Reaves remains an offensive focal point.
Doncic has proven in the past that he can lead a team to great heights while sharing a backcourt with another productive player. He led Dallas to the 2022 Western Conference Finals with a still up-and-coming Jalen Brunson and reached the 2024 NBA Finals with a prime Kyrie Irving.
It's far too soon to compare Reaves to those top-tier players, but given James' age and Doncic's history of thriving alongside productive guards, the Lakers must not lose sight of reality.