Show Austin Reaves The Money? Lakers Might Have Second Thoughts After Game 1 Meltdown

It was nan first crippled of nan biggest bid of his career, nan first chance for everybody’s favourite Laker to put a beardown decorativeness connected a fabulous regular play and a caller cornerstone contract.

Yet Austin Reaves crumbled.

Again.

It was nan champion opportunity for nan imaginable free supplier to statesman earning nan $241-million statement nan Lakers were expected to connection this summer, nan champion chance for nan April-cursed defender to flight his playoff demons and overgarment the Lakers early pinch a max masterpiece.

Yet Austin Reaves dressed up pinch bricks.

Again.

The severely outmanned and heavy underdog Lakers mostly played good capable and smart capable to bent pinch nan defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday nighttime successful nan opener of their Western Conference semifinal bid astatine Paycom Center.

All isolated from for you-know-who.

In their 108-90 loss, Austin Reaves was arguably nan difference.

While LeBron James was scoring 27 points and Deandre Ayton was grabbing 11 rebounds and Marcus Smart was starring a protect complaint that held reigning MVP Shea Gilgeous-Alexander to a season-low 18 points pinch 7 turnovers, Reaves was going clank!

Thirty six minutes of clank!

Reaves threw up 16 shots of each shapes and sizes. He missed 13 of them.

Lakers defender Austin Reaves tries to trim disconnected a thrust by Thunder defender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during nan 2nd half of Game 1 connected Tuesday night.

(Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)

Reaves heaved up 5 shots from beyond nan three-point line, distant flings while some covered and alone. He made nary of them.

He didn’t make his first handbasket until midway done nan 2nd 4th pinch nan Lakers trailing by nine.

He didn’t make his 2nd handbasket until midway done nan 4th fourth pinch nan Lakers trailing by 19.

In between, nan Lakers had pulled to wrong 4 points midway done nan 3rd 4th earlier Reaves contributed to a 7-0 Thunder tally that fundamentally ended nan game. The Oklahoma City surge featured a Reaves’ missed three-point effort and a Reaves turnover and was sadly emblematic of his full evening.

He totaled 8 points pinch 4 turnovers and 1 rebound while getting shoved each complete nan panhandle by an Oklahoma City defense that looked frighteningly familiar.

This is what Minnesota did to him past spring. This is what Denver did to him 2 springs ago.

This is not what was expected to hap this spring, aft he spent nan regular play arsenic Luka Doncic’s resourceful and resilient sidekick, averaging a career-high 23 points while making astir half of his shots and much than a 3rd of his treys.

He had worked his measurement into being 1 of nan Lakers 2 cornerstones, and erstwhile he strained his near oblique musculus precocious successful nan play and missed nan first 4 games of nan first-round bid against nan Houston Rockets, nan Doncic-less Lakers waited breathlessly for his return.

Well, he’s back. And beryllium observant for what you wish. Because frankincense acold this has emblematic Playoff Austin Reaves.

He missed 12 of 15 shots successful a Game 5 nonaccomplishment to nan Rockets. He missed each 4 of his three-point attempts successful a Game 6 clinching triumph complete nan Rockets.

And now this, an opening connection against nan Thunder that raised an absorbing mobility successful beforehand of a summertime erstwhile Reaves is expected to opt retired of his $14.9-million statement successful hopes of earning a $241-million maximum woody from nan Lakers.

Is he worthy nan money? Is he worthy making him nan second-highest paid Laker and frankincense limiting their financial expertise to amended build astir Doncic?

After Tuesday night, 1 has to wonder.

This wouldn’t look truthful bad if nan Lakers still weren’t missing nan league’s starring scorer, Doncic sidelined indefinitely because of a strained near hamstring. Reaves will beryllium fixed nan large money to beryllium a wingman, not nan main man, truthful he’s presently being asked to play a domiciled that he won’t beryllium playing if he stays here.

Lakers defender Austin Reaves shoots a floater while defended by Thunder defender Alex Caruso during nan first half of Game 1 connected Tuesday night.

(Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)

But still, his playoff woes, erstwhile nan lights get brighter and nan elbows get sharper, person ever nagged him. And do nan Lakers want to rotation nan dice that these postseason problems will vanish alternatively of letting him locomotion and utilizing that money to find personification much playoff-reliable?

His teammates emotion him, nan fans adore him, and here’s guessing nan Lakers won’t fto this injury-marred agelong of games alteration their precocious sentiment of him.

But, again, 1 has to wonderment …

“Yeah, he didn’t play good but he’s going to bounce back,” said coach JJ Redick afterward. “He’s a awesome player.”

He’s a reliable player, rushing backmost from that oblique wounded pinch minimal betterment time. He’s besides a stand-up player, a feline who conscionable missed a period yet refuses to blasted his struggles connected nan evident trouble successful searching for your hit successful nan mediate of nan playoffs.

“Nobody cares astir that,” he told reporters. “I’ve sewage to spell retired location and play better.”

He was asked astir a tumble he took during nan game, a mobility that gave him an opening to blasted his struggles connected nan chopped anticipation that he‘s not yet afloat healed. He refused.

“I’m good,” he said.

James implied that Reaves, arsenic usual, was being excessively difficult connected himself.

“He was retired a period … he was retired a month,” said James. “We cognize he’s going to make shots and make plays, but that’s tough. To beryllium retired a period towards nan extremity of nan season. So, evidently we’re trying to fast-track him getting backmost connected nan level and doing nan things that he was doing earlier nan injury. But he’s retired a month,”

James said conscionable having Reaves connected nan tribunal was enough.

“His beingness unsocial helps america nary matter what,” James said.

After being portion of a Lakers squad that conscionable scored its fewest postseason points successful 5 seasons, Reaves said he’s fresh to spell backmost to work.

“Watch film, spot what nan crippled gives you and … study from that, move on,” he said.

That could beryllium 1 costly movie.