Lakers coach JJ Redick has noticed Austin Reaves' defensive acumen https://t.co/A1hhzIKBpE
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 9, 2024
As coach JJ Redick began to extol the virtues of Austin Reaves’ game and how the Lakers have asked for a little more out of the guard, Redick also mentioned the word defense.
No, Reaves is not a lock-down defender, but he has shown Redick during training camp and the first two preseason games that he knows how to guard.
“I never thought he was a chump defensively, but he competes his ass off on that end,” Redick said after the Lakers’ practice Tuesday. “He knows what he’s supposed to do. He’s in the right spots. If he’s supposed to veer, he veers. If he’s supposed to be the low man, he’s the low man. If he’s supposed to be at the nail, he’s at the nail. He just does a lot of really good things on the basketball floor.”
When Reaves talked to the media, he was told about Redick’s comments. Reaves raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“So, he said I was playing good defense, or no?” Reaves asked.
In a sense, yes, Reaves was told.
“Oh, he said that? Oh, wow,” Reaves responded.
Redick said Reaves knows where to be on defense. Does Reaves think that’s a good thing?
“Yeah, I would hope so. It’s better than not being in the right spot,” Reaves said. “No, I think it’s just, you know, having a foundation, having a system, when you know exactly where the rotation is going to be, where you’re supposed to be, where the help is going to be. It gives you a good feeling as you’re guarding the ball, knowing, ‘All right, well, I can be a little bit more aggressive because I got AD [Anthony Davis] on the back row and I know he’s going to be there. But not just AD, if they skip it to the corner, then X [teammate] is going to be there.’
“So, just having faith in what we’re doing and the foundation that we’re putting in is the biggest thing for me.”
Lakers need Reaves to take his game to the next level at both ends of the court.
It started last year down the stretch when the lakers defensive rating was 110 over the last 28 games with Austin and Rui stepping up.
How well that starting lineup played defensively is one of those veins of gold reveal the unexpected upside this Lakers team actually has.
The other stat that gives me real hope is how strong we were offensively in the last 22-10 stretch where we averaged 118 ppg.
I love the JJ is aiming to be Top-10 in both O and D.
Frankly, I think we have potential w/luck to be top-5 in both.