After a disappointing 1-4 NBA road trip, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick saw a need to shake up the lineup and refocus Austin Reaves on key defensive responsibilities—a shift that paid dividends in the games that followed.
Back in Los Angeles, the Lakers notched two straight home wins, and Reaves’ defensive improvement was evident, a response to Redick’s challenge before Lakers’ win against 76ers. After their win against the Raptors, Redick praised Reaves’ renewed focus on defense.
“His level of compete on the defensive end has been better for both games,” Redick commented. “He’s not taking the night off. His mindset is to compete. I trust night-to-night with our group that he’s going to go out there and compete.”
Reaves, in turn, expressed his gratitude for Redick’s constructive criticism. “I hang my hat on playing hard every possession, and in that road trip, there were a couple of instances where I wasn’t,” Reaves admitted. “[JJ] sat me down and showed it to me. I appreciate it because I love being coached. I respect what he has to say. Once you see it, you can’t argue it.”
Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket between Austin Reaves #15a and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 116-106 Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena. Harry How/Getty Images
Reaves appreciates the dedication of the Lakers’ coaching staff
Reflecting on the rough five-game road trip, Reaves acknowledged that the team’s struggles motivated them to improve. “You wish it was smooth sailing the whole time,” Reaves said. “You’re going to go through ups and downs. I think not playing well on the road trip might’ve been a good thing for us to completely buy into what we knew we needed to do to be successful.”
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“Our coaches are putting us in the positions to be successful,” he added. “When we buy in and do it, good things happen. Even if it’s a game plan adjustment, they’ll come in and say, ‘We messed up, we need to do this instead.’ Everybody is kind of just holding each other accountable, so it’s a beautiful thing to see.”
Reaves’ season stats so far
In ten games with the Lakers this season, Reaves has averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. His shooting splits of 48.5% from the field, 37% from beyond the arc, and 77.4% from the free-throw line mark career-highs in points, rebounds, and steals, reflecting his all-around growth.
