{"id":154502,"date":"2025-08-15T14:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T18:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=154502"},"modified":"2025-08-15T12:21:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:21:44","slug":"austin-reaves-biggest-x-factor-lakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/15\/austin-reaves-biggest-x-factor-lakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Austin Reaves Will Be the Biggest X Factor for the Lakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers had a whirlwind 2024\u201325 season. A 50\u201332 record secured them the third seed in the Western Conference, but their playoff run ended abruptly in the first round despite the blockbuster midseason trade for Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>. Amid all the change, Austin Reaves<\/a> remained a steady contributor. Yet as the new season begins, his role may never be more important \u2014 or more uncertain.<\/p>\n

This year will be about adaptation. If Reaves<\/a> can take the leap into being Luka\u2019s reliable backcourt partner, the Lakers could find the perfect balance between star power and stability. If he can\u2019t, his role could shrink, and the team\u2019s long-term plans might move on without him.<\/p>\n

Why Austin Reaves Will Be the Biggest X Factor for The Lakers<\/h2>\n

Austin Reaves \u2014 The Definition of Reliability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Reaves entered last season with high expectations after proving the year before that he could be a difference-maker on a winning team. In 2023\u201324, he averaged nearly 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, carving out a vital role in the Lakers\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n

To start 2024\u201325, he stepped into the role of lead guard alongside D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/a>, LeBron James<\/a>, and Anthony Davis<\/a> \u2014 and fit in seamlessly. He became the secondary scorer when the team needed an offensive spark behind LeBron and AD, and he served as the connector, linking the offense\u2019s many moving parts: LeBron\u2019s all-around brilliance, Davis\u2019s physical dominance, and Russell\u2019s perimeter shooting.<\/p>\n

Even on defense \u2014 an area that isn\u2019t his natural strength \u2014 Reaves embraced the challenge of chasing point guards and sharpshooters through screens. He wasn\u2019t flashy, but he was dependable. Whatever the Lakers needed on a given night, Reaves delivered.<\/p>\n

Then came the most shocking trade in NBA history \u2014 Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> to the Lakers. Many expected Austin Reaves to be part of the deal. The Mavericks needed a point guard to replace Luka, and the Lakers\u2019 biggest bargaining chip outside of Davis was Reaves. Yet GM Rob Pelinka managed to keep him in Los Angeles, and Reaves showed why.<\/p>\n

He adapted to a system where his role could overlap with two of the most ball-dominant players in the league \u2014 Luka and LeBron. When both were on the floor, Reaves excelled at spacing the floor, knocking down open shots, catching the ball on the move, and attacking closeouts. When paired with just one of them, he shifted into a secondary playmaker role, creating for himself and others. Thriving in a system built around three players who can all score and facilitate at a high level is no easy task, yet Reaves made it look natural.<\/p>\n

Playoff Struggles and Defensive Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Despite his steady production in the regular season, the playoffs raised new concerns. All of his averages dipped, and his field-goal percentage dropped significantly<\/a>. He maintained his role as the connector when sharing the floor with LeBron and Luka, and as the secondary playmaker when one of them sat. But perhaps due to the constant shifts in his responsibilities throughout the year \u2014 combined with the heightened pressure of the postseason \u2014 his performance fell short of expectations. By his own admission<\/a>, he didn\u2019t deliver at the level he hoped for.<\/p>\n

On the defensive end, his limitations were even more glaring. Opponents frequently targeted him in pick-and-rolls, often pairing him with Luka in actions that forced the Lakers\u2019 two backcourt guards into difficult situations. This is a problematic formula for a team with championship aspirations, as it leaves them vulnerable against elite perimeter scorers.<\/p>\n

For Austin Reaves to cement himself as a vital part of the Lakers\u2019 future, he\u2019ll need to earn more trust on the defensive end \u2014 not just through effort, but by becoming a reliable component of the team\u2019s overall defensive scheme.<\/p>\n

The Marcus Smart Factor<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When the season ended, one of the Lakers\u2019 clearest priorities was shoring up their perimeter defense. So when former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart<\/a> became available, he quickly rose to the top of their target list. Smart can guard positions one through four, and his defensive versatility makes him a natural fit for high-pressure playoff moments.<\/p>\n

That versatility could also directly impact Austin Reaves\u2019 role in crunch time. With Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and LeBron James carrying the offensive load, the Lakers may lean more heavily on defense when the game is on the line \u2014 and that\u2019s where Smart could be the preferred option. His presence means Reaves\u2019 minutes in the clutch will now be evaluated not only on his offensive contributions, but also on whether he can hold his own defensively alongside two ball-dominant stars.<\/p>\n

The Ultimate X-Factor Test<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This season could be the defining moment of Austin Reaves\u2019 career. He has the tools and skill set to be Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s long-term backcourt partner in Los Angeles \u2014 shooting ability, self-creation, the vision to set up teammates when needed, and the off-ball movement to thrive alongside a ball-dominant superstar. On paper, it\u2019s the blueprint of an ideal modern NBA lead guard. If he can take another leap on offense \u2014 becoming more clutch in big moments and producing even when defenses focus on him \u2014 his future with the Lakers could be secure for years to come<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the flip side is just as real. If his season mirrors last year \u2014 steady offensive contributions but lacking the composure and impact needed in the playoffs \u2014 his role could be reduced. His ability to hold his ground defensively against elite matchups, like Anthony Edwards<\/a> in last year\u2019s postseason, will be just as critical as his offensive production. The question is simple but career-defining: will Austin Reaves make the leap and lock himself in as a cornerstone, or will this season set him on a path to another franchise?<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers had a whirlwind 2024\u201325 season. A 50\u201332 record secured them the third seed in the Western Conference, but their playoff run ended abruptly in the first round despite the blockbuster midseason trade for Luka Don\u010di\u0107. Amid all the change, Austin Reaves remained a steady contributor. Yet as the new season begins, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5603,"featured_media":154948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,62],"tags":[240,4556,307,38,1133,428],"class_list":["post-154502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-anthony-davis","tag-austin-reaves","tag-dangelo-russell","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-marcus-smart"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154502"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154950,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154502\/revisions\/154950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}