Monday night will feature Luka Doncic serving his obligatory one-game suspension after hitting the magic number of 16 (technical fouls) during the 2025-26 season. For a small handful of reason, this actually comes at the perfect time for the Los Angeles Lakers.
For one, it comes against the Washington Wizards. There is never truly a good time to be missing your best player. However, a matchup against a team heading straight for the lottery while possessing one of the three worst records in the NBA will definitely be more manageable than other instances.
Then, there is the Austin Reaves reason for why this works out. The Lakers need Reaves playing like the second star that he is. The 27-year-old will get a taste of first-option hoops with Doncic out of the lineup against the Wizards.
Reaves has ramped up a steady string of games where his scoring and playmaking have picked up. Operating as the focal point of the offense for an easier matchup against the Wizards should position the Lakers guard to kick things into overdrive with very little time remaining before the playoffs.
Austin Reaves can find the next level of offensive involvement with Luka Doncic out
The matchup against the Wizards will be the eighth-last game of the regular season for the Lakers. The NBA Playoffs are in clear sight. The habits teams build at these stages of the campaign are the ones that will carry over into the postseason.
There are plenty of numbers that would suggest the Lakers are a better basketball team when Reaves is routinely involved on the offensive end. That is why capitalizing on the absence of Doncic will be big for JJ Redick. The second-year coach can serve a healthy offensive diet to his other talented offensive guard with the open opportunity.
The Lakers are 34-14 when Reaves plays in 2025-26. That makes for a winning percentage of .708. That number is impressive, and still pales in comparison to when the Lakers guard is surging on offense.
When Reaves scores 25 points or more, Los Angeles boasts a 20-3 record. That is good for a winning percentage of .870.
When Reaves takes at least 17 shots this season, the Lakers are 13-2. Once more, that is a strong win rate that comes in at about .867.
The Lakers secure dubs when Reaves is scoring buckets. That much is clear. Using the absence of Doncic and turning it from a downside to an upside by featuring AR more heavily in the offense is the best way to still gain a net positive from the matchup with the Wizards for the bigger picture.